In a culture where love is selfishly thrown around only to get what one wants, we need to go back and re-discover real love...a true love that endures forever.
Last week, my family and I returned from a Be in Health conference in Georgia. Since returning home, I've pondered this 'what is love?' question. As humans, and more specifically as young people, we all have a desire to love and be loved. God created us for this. But today, love is not protected nor kept safe. It's no longer special and pure. Do you wonder why? Because we've left our first Love. We've gone looking in all the wrong places and now we live in a country where marriages are falling apart, children are being aborted, hearts are being stolen and broken, and the list goes on. Many feel empty and no matter how hard they try, the feeling of being unloved is always there.
God's desire is that we not feel this way. If fact, He's crazily, head-over-heels in love with us. His love is so deep that He sent his one and only Son, Jesus Christ here to earth, to die on the cross for us (and our sins), so that we can enter into a love relationship and one day spend an eternity with Him. That's an example of true love. All we have to do is accept His proposal, turn from our selfish ways, and trust our lives completely to Him.
If people would start here (even before a commitment to an earthly marriage is made), we would begin to see a change in the culture's 'normal' cycle.
So now I write to all my fellow young adults out there. It's time for us to turn the tide. We need to find out who we are in Jesus Christ. It's only through Him that we will find true contentment and real love. If we are completely in love and content with Him then one day when God brings that special someone into yours and my life, no matter what trials may come in your relationship and marriage, you will look to Jesus for help, safety, and satisfaction (not in someone who's human like you and me, and cannot give you what God can).
Love is a snowball effect. Once Jesus is your first love, you will be able to love yourself (truly love yourself as He does) and then you will be able to genuinely love and care for others.
Being in love with Jesus is imperative within a marriage covenant as well . Before I ever marry my guy, the one God has planned for me, I want to be deeply in love with my heavenly Husband-to-be...because it's only then that I will be able to really and truly be capable of loving my earthly one. And, as much as I want my guy to be devoted and unselfishly loyal to me, I need to be preparing to be the same for him. And it all starts with Jesus--my first Love (Did you know He's jealous for me? He's jealous for you too). Another way to prepare myself is to start at home. If I don't learn how to be a devoted, unselfishly loyal, and loving daughter to my parents (specifically my dad), then I'm not prepared to be joined to another. :)
"So, what is love?"
"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 records 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
May you be richly blessed and find true happiness and contentment in Him!
Falling in love with my Jesus,
Morgan
P.S. For more encouragement about God's love for you I highly recommend the book "Crazy Love", written by Francis Chan. It revolutionized my view on God's love for me. I'm not a big reading fan, but this book was hard to put down. His website is www.crazylovebook.com. (The other books and resources written by Francis are great too.)
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How He Loves Us
by David Crowder Band
Worship the King.
"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever." -Psalm 136:1
"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever." -Psalm 136:1
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