Recently, I've been in several conversations with friends and family about relationships and love. One of my friends made a statement that stuck with me and has prompted me to submit this blog...
As she and I discussed her new friendship and her desire to move it from a friendship to a relationship, I questioned why she wanted to be in a relationship instead of just allowing things to grow and develop. She said to me, "Because I have these feelings and I don't know what to do with them."
I've pondered on that statement for a few weeks now, as it seems to come back to me every now and then.
I'm by no means an expert on love and/or relationships.
However, I have experienced both in my life and I've even made a few mistakes throughout the process. Not to mention, I'm still trying to figure it all out myself!
But, when I think about love I automatically think about the definition of love from the Bible in 1 Corinthians 13. Paul is the writer of this passage and he says about love:
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails.
Anytime I read from the Bible I think about how it might apply to me. So, when I read this passage about love, I think about my role in carrying out this meaning of love. It means to me, that as I go throughout my daily life, I must demonstrate love as it appears here. Of course, there are challenges with this because we're all human and sometimes human nature is contrary to everything stated here. However, nothing about this passage says anything to me about being in a "relationship."
Love is Love and it has nothing to do with who is on the receiving end. It can be a stranger or a husband or wife; the mandate to love is on us as individuals. It must be shown and lived even when we have feelings that we don't know what to do about. Our feelings are emotions that we all deal with and must learn to manage. But, our emotions aren't what we use to love. Love comes from a deeper place in our spirits and must be shown even when we don't "feel" it or even if the situation and circumstances aren't what we desire.
So, as I think about my friend and how she wants a relationship so she will know what to do with her feelings, I'd challenge her to just love. Regardless of whether she is in a relationship or not, she was created to just love. And she focuses on that, she will realize that love never fails!
