Movies like ‘The Notebook’, ‘songs like ‘I Will Always Love You’, and ‘Romeo and Juliet’ have all contributed to a skewed view of love. These love stories, which captivate and hold the attention of today’s audience, are often full of drama and intense emotion. But our society conditioned us to believe that love must be fraught with intense extremes. If we are trying to fulfill a need to be good enough to be loved, we will be disappointed. If we are trying to be rescued or defended, we will be let down. If we want to be treated like a princess or king, we will be disappointed. If we expect someone’s love to complete us, we will be disappointed because this isn’t love. How do we know what love is?
Love Is Everything to God
God highly values love. The Bible says that all that will remain is faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of them is love. Jesus said the entire law of the prophets hangs on loving God and loving others. My mortal mind doesn’t have a complete handle on love; after all, the Bible says that God is love. Maybe we should base our ideas on the words of the one who created and defines love.
"He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love.” 1 John 4:8 WEB
God Is Love
We have a shallow view of God. We either think He’s a Santa who gives us everything. We see Him as a judgmental entity. He is waiting for us to mess up. Then He can pounce on us. God isn’t simply good feelings but the honest grace that meets us at our darkest, loneliest, and most desperate places. When we hit rock bottom, He is there, and we are more open to receiving from Him. There isn’t mercy without truth; there isn’t forgiveness without conviction of sin. Without understanding our need for forgiveness, we can’t receive it fully. When we know that we can’t do it alone, we are in the perfect place. We can accept the grace He wants to give us.
"While we were still helpless [powerless to provide for our salvation], at the right time Christ died [as a substitute] for the ungodly.” Romans 5:6
We Don’t Have to Be Perfect
God loves us unconditionally; we don’t need to change to be worthy of His love. God was there when sin entered the human race. He knows that we are born with a sinful nature, and He knows we aren’t perfect. Sin is the culprit and the cause of the pain and evil in the world. No one needs to teach us to sin. We need to learn and work to be good. We need God’s help to be like Him. Jesus provided the sacrifice. When we are ready, we can receive the love and forgiveness for which He died. This is the most profound emotion we will ever feel. The extremes portrayed by the movies are nothing compared to the true understanding of God’s great love for us. We don’t need to be perfect; we can’t be. We become more like Him as we spend time in His presence.
"But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
Relationship, Not Control
God’s desire for a relationship with us is beyond our understanding. His love is unconditional, unlike any human love. He doesn’t have trauma issues, nor does He need our love for an ego boost. He has no interest in controlling us, abusing us, or making us feel guilty or less than. The Bible said that while we were His enemies, He died for us. God waits for us to come to Him on our own. He wants reconciliation and has done everything He could to prepare a path for us to return to Him. True love ends in reconciliation. That’s how we know it’s true.
"For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more certain, having been reconciled, that we will be saved [from the consequences of sin] by His life [that is, we will be saved because Christ lives today]. Not only that, but we also rejoice in God [rejoicing in His love and perfection] through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received and enjoy our reconciliation [with God]." Romans 5:10-11
Poem
