With the observance of that recent wonderful day of love (I’ve been advised by my lawyers not to show bias toward one side over the other), I thought I’d 
discuss what love is and how to tell if you are lucky enough to fall into that category. A status held only by a few Americans since more than 50 percent of marriages end in divorce. I should note at this point that since I myself am divorced that I am in no way claiming to be an expert on amorous affairs. Also, I should say that the Internet is full of what many claim to be love, however we will discover as we delve into this topic that love and lust are two different things.
Lust is based on physical attraction and, while that is a factor in love, it does not constitute love. (Most of the articles I researched were geared toward teenagers.) Love should be based on friendship, trust, commitment and caring. Love is shared by two people, not something one may feel and the other doesn’t. In true love, there is no room for jealousy, contempt, insecurity, hate, pride or other evil deeds. Love is a positive feeling with a positive outcome.
According to Mike Hardcastle, Teen Advisor at About.com, love is the total surrender of your heart to another person with the security of knowing they will treat it better than you will. If you wanted to borrow your best friend’s car and they trusted you with it, you would take care of it better than it was your own. You would make sure you returned their car washed, filled with fuel and clean…in better condition than when you borrowed it. Why, because this is your friend and they trusted you to use their vehicle. You wanted to prove you would do a good job. Well, it should be an even bigger deal when someone gives us their heart. If you don’t feel compelled to treat their heart and feelings better than your own, then you are not in love.
Hardcastle composed a list of things you should know about love. I realize most adults think they should already know these things, and let’s face it…we should have learned lots of things in Kindergarten but they didn’t teach us this.
Love is an intense feeling of caring for another person. It can take many different forms (romantic, friendly, familial) but love is always about caring.
You should never be asked or feel like you have to prove your love for someone. When you love another person you don't ask them to sacrifice a part of themselves in the name of that love.
It is very easy to confuse lust for love. The true measure of romantic love is commitment and trust not physical attraction. Sex is NOT love. Love is NOT sex. Sex can be a part of romantic love but it is never mandatory.
Love should make you feel happy, secure and appreciated.
The best description of love can be found in the Bible. God created love and has a pretty good idea of what it is and isn’t, so why be surprised to find in His word what love is?
Love is patient and is kind; love doesn't envy. Love doesn't brag, is not proud, doesn't behave itself inappropriately, doesn't seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; doesn't rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. -- 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7
discuss what love is and how to tell if you are lucky enough to fall into that category. A status held only by a few Americans since more than 50 percent of marriages end in divorce. I should note at this point that since I myself am divorced that I am in no way claiming to be an expert on amorous affairs. Also, I should say that the Internet is full of what many claim to be love, however we will discover as we delve into this topic that love and lust are two different things.Lust is based on physical attraction and, while that is a factor in love, it does not constitute love. (Most of the articles I researched were geared toward teenagers.) Love should be based on friendship, trust, commitment and caring. Love is shared by two people, not something one may feel and the other doesn’t. In true love, there is no room for jealousy, contempt, insecurity, hate, pride or other evil deeds. Love is a positive feeling with a positive outcome.
According to Mike Hardcastle, Teen Advisor at About.com, love is the total surrender of your heart to another person with the security of knowing they will treat it better than you will. If you wanted to borrow your best friend’s car and they trusted you with it, you would take care of it better than it was your own. You would make sure you returned their car washed, filled with fuel and clean…in better condition than when you borrowed it. Why, because this is your friend and they trusted you to use their vehicle. You wanted to prove you would do a good job. Well, it should be an even bigger deal when someone gives us their heart. If you don’t feel compelled to treat their heart and feelings better than your own, then you are not in love.
Hardcastle composed a list of things you should know about love. I realize most adults think they should already know these things, and let’s face it…we should have learned lots of things in Kindergarten but they didn’t teach us this.
Love is an intense feeling of caring for another person. It can take many different forms (romantic, friendly, familial) but love is always about caring.
You should never be asked or feel like you have to prove your love for someone. When you love another person you don't ask them to sacrifice a part of themselves in the name of that love.
It is very easy to confuse lust for love. The true measure of romantic love is commitment and trust not physical attraction. Sex is NOT love. Love is NOT sex. Sex can be a part of romantic love but it is never mandatory.
Love should make you feel happy, secure and appreciated.
The best description of love can be found in the Bible. God created love and has a pretty good idea of what it is and isn’t, so why be surprised to find in His word what love is?
Love is patient and is kind; love doesn't envy. Love doesn't brag, is not proud, doesn't behave itself inappropriately, doesn't seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; doesn't rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. -- 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7
1 comment:
OH, come on. The Anti-Love Holiday gets comments while the true love commentary gets zilch? Life is so not fair.
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