Hello, Friends and Family!
Please enjoy this re-posting of my blog, "What's Love Got to Do With It?" It's quite fitting in advance of Valentine's Day....Also, all who can are invited to join me at 7:30 pm tonight at the Cathedral of Christ Baptist Church 5354 Sheriff Road, Capitol Heights, MD 20743 for the Women in Worship Winter Revival.
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Sometimes, we use the word "love" a little too loosely. We "love" ice cream; we "love" animals; we "love" sports; we "love" being in love.
We do a lot of things in the name of love without always knowing the true definition of love. There are many interpretations, perspectives and opinions about love, but only one truth concerning love. That truth is found in God's word in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8
"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails..."
I saw a program about "strange love" that showed individuals who were madly "in love" with inanimate objects. The object of one person's love was a section of the Great Wall of China. He would visit a specific section of the wall and kiss it, caress it and press his face and entire body against it. He even had "conversations" with it. He "loved" the wall, and from his sincere perspective, the wall "loved" him.
What's love got to do with it?
Just because we have declared love for someone or something doesn't mean that it is honoring to God, or that God is obligated to honor it.
So many people are searching and aching to be loved. Some are so desperate to find and to feel love that they will take anything that resembles love, even if it is a fantasy, even if it is violent, even if it is degrading, even if it is unhealthy, even if it is with someone or something forbidden--especially if it is forbidden.
We are sometimes so blinded by our quest to find love that we react angrily to anyone, including God, whom we feel might be standing in the way of us having our way. We will even, like Eve did in the garden, entertain the serpent's crafty questioning about God's directives and wonder did God really say not to look for love under that tree?
God made us and knew us all before we were formed in the womb. He knows all about our intense need for love and acceptance, and has given us clear guidance on expressing and experiencing true love.
In contrast to some secular definitions of love, God's directives about love do not result in confusion and shame, but bring joy to all involved and ultimately give glory to God, the author and epitome of love.
The love God gives us is a love unparalleled. It is exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask or imagine and far better for us than anything we could craft with our own hands, heads and hearts. And, as the ultimate match maker, God knows not only what we want, but what we need regarding love and affection. He knows how to help us meet those needs without strings attached.
Before we rush to call something we're experiencing "love" let's check in with God to see how it lines up with his plan for our lives and his overall plan for creation. No relationship is ever truly limited to the people in it, for we are all connected and are all impacted by one another's decisions.
For example, some employers have begun to provide support for domestic violence victims because they realize that "what happens behind closed doors" often impacts the bottom line in the workplace. Physical and emotional distress can lead to increased employee absences, illnesses, lower productivity and even increased safety risks to the entire workplace.
Our relationships are not just our own business, they are our families' business, they are our communities' business, they are God's business.
So, what's love got to do with it? Nothing if God is not the author and finisher of it. What's love got to do with it? Everything if the love we proclaim is God-led, Godly and geared for the greater good.
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
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