What is love? How can we live it out? How do I know if I truly love somebody? How do I know if somebody truly loves me? These are questions I have been struggling with lately and, like everything else, I have been trying to figure it out all by myself. But in the end, after groveling through my dark and twisted mind (yes, it is very dark and twisted) I came to the wrong conclusion. My warped interpretation of love is the complete opposite of what the Bible says. My warped beliefs came to the conclusion that love is all about how someone makes me feel. Even though love causes feelings, it goes deeper. Love is much more complex than how another person makes us feel. If love were that shallow, all love stories would end the same; the guy/girl would make a mistake that makes the other mad/upset and then good-bye significant other! I don't know about y'all readers, but I want my love to be much purer than that. True love goes deeper than the surface of feelings. Let me share with y'all a verse that has been stuck in my mind since last weekend. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
This doesn't really say what love is exactly, but it shows us the products of love. When we truly love someone we will be patient, and kind. We won't have envy towards them, we will not boast to/about them. We won't be proud. When we love others, we won't try to undermine others (a.k.a. make fun of others) and we won't put ourselves before everyone else. We won't get easily angered and we won't hold grudges. We will delight in what is right and not in what is wrong. We will always protect others. Always trust others. Always hope for others. And finally, love will never cease. That is true love.
As you might have noticed, no one can find this perfect love in ourselves. We are just too broken. This verse, I believe, shows us how God loves us.
Anyways, I have been struggling with the idea of love. My old self is saying that love is impossible. My born again self is saying "all things are possible through Christ who strengthens me." I have no idea whether I'm the only one with this problem... the problem of accepting what love truly is. To love others the same way Christ loves me. Well, that's it for my deep message for today!!
Today was kind of quiet. There was a football game today (LSU and some people I don't know.) LSU won :) I went to the library most of the day. I did some studying. I have to take the PSAT and the ACT this month. Fun. The place where my dad works gives a$8,000 scholarship to the 50 students who make the highest on the PSAT. I don't know if I can do it.... but then again, God is in control! There's this college I really want to go to! It's called Covenant College on top of a mountain in Georgia. But it's really expensive... I really hope that I am able to go though. It's an amazing college. Anyways, I have to go to bed now! It's late :) good night!
