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“Love Can Be Defined in So Many Ways”?
Written by Edel Alcantara
May 2, 2022
If you hear the word “love,” what comes to your mind? Well, we may have different answers. For some, it may be a great sense of care. Others would also say that love is the adornment and fulfillment within a romantic relationship. Some might think of familial love. Whatever your idea of “love” is, you are welcomed to a beautiful discussion on what this hard-to-define word actually means. Knowing that all of us have an insight into it in some way or another, we realize that this is a universal concept that many barely describe accurately.
Depending on our societal and religious influences, our perceptions may vary yet we can all agree that love is good. We have an ideal concept of what true or perfect love is and that “perfect love” is still not the same for everyone. Does love mean actively giving your all to someone? Or can it mean leaving since that may be what is best?
Historically, there is Someone who portrayed and executed perfect unconditional love. “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” – 1 John 3:16-18. Love is sacrificial and, even though we have done many wrongs according to Jesus’ standard, He still forgave and saved. Even though we rebelled against Him, He treated us as friends who are worth saving. He loves us so much, doesn’t He?
In the context of a romantic relationship, a person should love his/her partner without bounds. How can someone do so? Well, set Jesus as your personal example. What has He done for you? He has done a lot. In fact, He is the reason why we are living today. He is the One who sets the earth and everything on it in place. Even the stars and vast skies, He made. (See John 1:1-4). Seeing these attributes of Jesus, we see how caring Jesus is. He is always there for us no matter what. But what if things are going toxic or out of place? There is no one answer to that question because it is based on your situation. If a couple has not vowed in marriage, however, a relationship is worth letting go of when it displeases God. God wants the best for us, and disobedience is rejecting His protection and valuable instruction.
If you still haven’t experienced God’s love yet, I encourage you to open your heart to Him. Seriously, it is the best decision you can ever make since His love is out-of-this-world.
In whatever situation we are, single or married, we can still love those God has placed in our lives. Through brotherly love, we can also demonstrate Jesus’ sacrificial and good love. Wherever God directs us to go, God will surely help us and He will give us what we need, including the ability to love.
If you still haven’t experienced God’s love yet, I encourage you to open your heart to Him. Seriously, it is the best decision you can ever make since His love is out-of-this-world. I personally had doubts back then about how much God loves me. I felt that God could have spared me from tough and hurtful experiences. I lived a life of disobedience towards God. I sought love in the wrong places until I realized I cannot search it here on earth, At the end of the day, I called on God and received His love that is beyond my understanding. How can God care and listen to me who was a former rebel of His? Now that I have a relationship with Him, I know that life with Him is not a life without problems. Instead, a life with Jesus is a life that is never alone. I encourage you to do the same. Receive God’s love and develop a relationship with Him. Just ask and you will receive. He is a good God and He wants the best for us. Obey God since His instruction is for our protection. He is always there for us and His love towards us will never end!
To know more about LOVE: https://elevate.org.ph/index.php/isthispagibig/