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As that fluttery feeling you get in your stomach when your crush looks at you?
Your first kiss?
That feeling you get when meet the right person?
I don't know when it happened, but at some point in time, I started thinking of love...diferently. It no longer meant those things: kisses, chocolates and fluttery feelings. I started thinking of it as a choice, as an action.
And, well, it is!
God commands us to love.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” ~Mark 12:30-31
We can't really just turn on and off feelings by choice. And I'm pretty sure God wouldn't tell us: "Yeah, just go fall in love with that random person over there. Oh, and that girl over there with her nose up in the air? Act as if she's your new best friend."
This love, we've got to live it. Some days, we'll just wake up and not want to love anyone.
But we've got to make this decision. Start loving people.
I admit, this is one of my biggest problems. When I wake up in the morning, I don't usually go: "Oh, I think I'll love my family today.*" It's something that's gotta be worked on, meditated on {no, not some freaky meditation practice, but meditating in God's word}.
One book that really helps me with that is 1 Corinthians. There is a bunch in there about love, and not just in chapter 13 ;)
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.~1 Corinthians 13:1-3
So, without love, we're...nothing. Even if we are super important, or we have the "best" {this chapter goes on to say that really, love is the best gift} spiritual gifts, if we don't have love, we are nothing.
Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love.~ 1 Corinthians 16:13-14
So, whadda ya' say? Let's start loving on people. Not the mushy love for which Valentines day is famous, but let's love in the way that's obedient to God! {If there is a particularly...difficult...person whom you just don't think you'll be able to love, pray for them. Just keep on praying for them. I've begun to realize that when I'm praying for a person, I learn to love them.}
Okay, so I meant to publish this a few days ago, but I just didn't get it finished in time. But I guess this is a great day to post it! :)
Happy Valentine's Day!
*in fact, they are usually, "Grmblghruod...breakfast...grmklblmagrondla..."
