1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient, love
is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is
not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does
not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with
the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
On Catholic radio yesterday, I heard an interesting discussion on love. (I wish I knew who was being interviewed. I caught the talk midway through....) The gentleman explained that all of us as human beings were designed by God to unconditionally love. As a result of the fall of Adam & Eve, the capacity for human beings to unconditionally love suddenly changed. Men and women began to place "limits" on how much love they could give one another. However, emotionally and spiritually they still crave that unconditional love deep within the soul. Tension and discord arises because that unconditional love can never be fulfilled. Original sin forever converted human's unconditional love into conditional love. Many marital problems may stem from this disconnect.
I was mesmerized by this theory! It invited me to reflect on the question: What is REAL love?
Real, genuine and authentic love is not what appears on television or in the movies. Real love is not all about sex! Real love is not about sexually provocative lingerie, On-Demand porn, romantic song lyrics, or using and abusing another person for sexual fulfillment. Love goes much deeper.....
Our techno-society cheapens love. Love is no longer portrayed as something special, intimate, beautiful, and mutually-fulfilling. It's all about "getting off" or "take a little pill to help ED" or "read about 10 ways to be an outstanding lover." YUCK! With such images of "love" I can see why some people become totally turned off from dating or having a relationship of any kind. (Myself included!!) Love becomes equated with using someone or something for selfish gratification.
In my own life, I've struggled with the concept of love. My mother and father divorced when I was six years old. I never had a really good father figure to teach me how to discern between good and bad men, so I always fell for the bad guys!! I've been used (and even emotionally abused) for so many years that I've become bitter. I have trouble trusting men. I have difficulty acknowledging that I am worthy of ever being loved.....
I have declared my "love" to a few boyfriends in decades past. Sadly none of them reciprocated that love. (Heartbreaking!!) They "liked" me as a person but didn't want me as a wife or mother of their children. I was only seen as "a fun gal to hang out with" or "very attractive and sexy." It was only the physical they were after and not my true inner self. They never saw my inner beauty. As a result, I have developed rather poor self-esteem when it comes to "love" relationships. My heart is bursting to love someone with all of my might, just like Christ loves me! However, I've developed a skewed view of what love is all about. Simply stated: I don't know if I can ever love again!
Please don't misunderstand. I deeply love my family and friends!! I'm speaking about romantic love. Love that turns into a blessed marriage.....
REAL love is all about giving and receiving. It's about appreciating and respecting another individual for his/her uniqueness. Love is about sharing with one another and seeing the good in one another. Authentic love doesn't encourage a person to run away from their mate because he/she is having a bad month. Love flows with the highs and lows of life. Love realizes that a person will never be perfect, but is still worthy of acceptance, warts and all!
I hope some day I will love again. I think it will take a lot of prayer and inner healing from my life's artificial love wounds. I must remember that God unconditionally loves me! GOD IS LOVE!! That should be satisfying on its own. I may feel lonely at times without a viable soulmate but what's to say I won't grow stronger in wisdom and self-assurance. This will help me attract that someone special who really does love me for the inner ME and not my physical appearance only.
Authentic love is complex. It's emotional, but it's way worth the investment. Don't go for cheap love but go for Christ-like love that nourishes and fulfills the mind, body and soul!
-J.
I was mesmerized by this theory! It invited me to reflect on the question: What is REAL love?
Real, genuine and authentic love is not what appears on television or in the movies. Real love is not all about sex! Real love is not about sexually provocative lingerie, On-Demand porn, romantic song lyrics, or using and abusing another person for sexual fulfillment. Love goes much deeper.....
Our techno-society cheapens love. Love is no longer portrayed as something special, intimate, beautiful, and mutually-fulfilling. It's all about "getting off" or "take a little pill to help ED" or "read about 10 ways to be an outstanding lover." YUCK! With such images of "love" I can see why some people become totally turned off from dating or having a relationship of any kind. (Myself included!!) Love becomes equated with using someone or something for selfish gratification.
In my own life, I've struggled with the concept of love. My mother and father divorced when I was six years old. I never had a really good father figure to teach me how to discern between good and bad men, so I always fell for the bad guys!! I've been used (and even emotionally abused) for so many years that I've become bitter. I have trouble trusting men. I have difficulty acknowledging that I am worthy of ever being loved.....
I have declared my "love" to a few boyfriends in decades past. Sadly none of them reciprocated that love. (Heartbreaking!!) They "liked" me as a person but didn't want me as a wife or mother of their children. I was only seen as "a fun gal to hang out with" or "very attractive and sexy." It was only the physical they were after and not my true inner self. They never saw my inner beauty. As a result, I have developed rather poor self-esteem when it comes to "love" relationships. My heart is bursting to love someone with all of my might, just like Christ loves me! However, I've developed a skewed view of what love is all about. Simply stated: I don't know if I can ever love again!
Please don't misunderstand. I deeply love my family and friends!! I'm speaking about romantic love. Love that turns into a blessed marriage.....
REAL love is all about giving and receiving. It's about appreciating and respecting another individual for his/her uniqueness. Love is about sharing with one another and seeing the good in one another. Authentic love doesn't encourage a person to run away from their mate because he/she is having a bad month. Love flows with the highs and lows of life. Love realizes that a person will never be perfect, but is still worthy of acceptance, warts and all!
I hope some day I will love again. I think it will take a lot of prayer and inner healing from my life's artificial love wounds. I must remember that God unconditionally loves me! GOD IS LOVE!! That should be satisfying on its own. I may feel lonely at times without a viable soulmate but what's to say I won't grow stronger in wisdom and self-assurance. This will help me attract that someone special who really does love me for the inner ME and not my physical appearance only.
Authentic love is complex. It's emotional, but it's way worth the investment. Don't go for cheap love but go for Christ-like love that nourishes and fulfills the mind, body and soul!
-J.
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