Love Intensified: no matter what

INTRODUCTION

Love is a strong feeling in one person toward another.  God enjoins us to do everything in love. God’s love should however be distinguished from sensual feelings. What is God’s kind of love?

LOVE IS A LIFESTYLE

Love is a most discussed and bastardized subject on earth. People often misinterpret their feelings of likeness, infatuation, lust, etc. and call it ‘love’. Love is however more than a feeling and not just a subject. Love is a lifestyle. The initial emotional attraction by partners in marriage will wane before or after 30 years of conjugal cohabitation. It is pure lifestyle of love that will sustain the union then and henceforth, when most of the indices of attraction would have disappeared.

Marriages and home are different from person to person. Every marriage has its own challenges. Love is a responsibility and it is the (inevitable) challenges in marriage that test how loving and responsible you are as a spouse. Change the creed and vows on your wedding day as much as you want, be reminded still that marriage remains till death do you part and for better for worse.

LOVE IS A PERSONALITY

The detailed features of love are provided in 1 Corinthians 13. These natures can only be found in God and humans. In other words, it can be said of humans that he/she rejoices, perseveres; is patient and kind, and so on. It follows therefore that love is a personality and whoever claims to be in love must exhibit love’s natures. It is difficult for a man in his carnal state to truly love. That’s why some spouses violate their partners and treat them as additional asset.

LOVE IS THE NATURE OF GOD AND OF HIS CHILDREN

When we love other people, it is not because they deserve our love but because it is in our nature to love – no matter what. If you fail in your responsibility to your spouse, it is not your spouse’s fault. It is yours. No matter what, your nature of love must overcome all obstacles and challenges. Our marriage vows state that we will cherish and nurture our spouses with all we have. This means that whatever you have belongs to your spouse. Further, verse 25 of Ephesians 5 commands husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the church and gave Himself for her. The important qualification in the command is ‘as Christ loves the Church‘ and died for her.

LOVE FLOWS FROM THE CROSS

The message of the cross and the gospel of Christ is a message of love. Love compelled God to send His only son to die for man. It is love that made Jesus Christ the son of God to die for us.  Loving does not mean accepting all that is bad. Spouses can correct each other in love. Love can regulate, moderate, correct and discipline.

CONCLUSION

Your selfish Adamic nature can’t love. But if Jesus is in your heart, then the Holy Spirit will endow you with God’s divine nature to love. If you lack the nature of love, you can’t have love as a lifestyle. Then you need Jesus. Accept Christ today as your Lord and personal Saviour.