Love is a risk. Do it anyway.

Love is in the air. As the season of Valentine’s comes to a conclusion, I thought about how the meaning of love and how we tended to try to find it was an issue we all faced.

The term “love,” as most people know, is bandied about in many ways for various reasons. We can love the food we eat and our pet. We can even love our hobbies. So it’s sometimes difficult for people to speak on the love for a significant other or a brother/sister in a meaningful way.

The Greek and Roman philosophers tried to define this variedness of love in several ways:
Eros – emotional/romantic love – usually between significant others or a married couple
Storge – natural/instinctual love – usually between family or people we show empathy to
Phileo/Philia – familial/brotherly love – usually between friends
Agape – unconditional love – usually a Godly love showing great charity and selflessness

The risk of love

However, no matter the type or who we attempt to love, there will be a risk involved. As most people who have dated and been in bad relationships know, breaking up with someone will hurt. And so, many times we move to the next relationship, now reduced in hope and trust and with a guard up expecting the worst.

But is that really a way to live and approach our association with others? Most people who do this tend to not realize that they are imperfect people too and will hurt others as well. Everyone will and must hurt others. No one is perfect at loving others.

In addition, because of the nature of the world, we must get into arguments and contentions, or do something bad to someone directly or indirectly. It is a given.

Risky is this business of love, and so I believe we have to start to approach it with more intentionality and Godly wisdom. Otherwise, we will tend to carry around our broken emotional pieces and baggage to others. Hurt people will hurt people.

Healing after pain

If you’ve been broken down by life or bad relationships, take your time and assess yourself. Set a space and time to heal and get better emotionally. Break the cycle of hurt and pain by being careful not to spill over your mess into another’s. All this causes is a deep array of broken vessels looking to be refilled again, and leaking layers of past disagreements, chaos, and pain.

But you know what is awesome? In some way, God uses those broken areas to make something of your meaning and purpose. Get in tune with God again and know that He is a great healer of not only physical but mental and emotional issues as well.

“Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If one were to give all the wealth of one’s house for love, it would be utterly scorned.”
Song of Songs 8:7 (NIV)

Show love to others

Love is risky. It must be if we live in a broken world. But God is sufficient and shows us love all the time. If we are so imperfect, yet get so many things from God daily, know that He’s been training us to do likewise to others.  Show that mercy, kindness, and goodness anyways.

Who knows if you may be the very instrument God set in play to do His work of glorious compassion to others?

No matter how small, be grateful daily and show love. Someone will benefit from it and life will start to look more cheerful and beautiful.

“And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)

Scriptures To Read: 

1 Corinthians Chapter 13
Ephesians Chapter 5
Song of Songs Chapters 1-8

PRAYER: Lord, teach me how to love

Lord, teach me how to love.
Let me know you deeply.
Let me see you clearly.
Let me understand your heart.

Allow my days to burn brightly with patience, kindness, hopefulness, faithfulness, and enduring love.

Put my thoughts in sharp and clear knowledge of your love and mercy.
Teach me to forgive. Let me be slow to anger.
Give me the faith to know how to treat others fairly and with justice.

Teach me how to love – just like you.

Lord, teach me how to pray.

Lord, teach me how to love.