God's Lesson of Love

The greatest command we are given is that we love one another. Strange how that can be one of the most difficult things to do. There are times when I don't feel like loving certain people. It is easy to love people who love you back, but it's not so easy to love someone who doesn't want your love. The word 'love' is thrown out so much that it has lost its meaning. People say they love their car, their house, or their dog and then they say they love their family and friends all in the same sentence. Love has become just an expression to most people. "It's mine, therefore I love it" should be what people really say. When something isn't yours, you usually do not love it. God, didn't create love for this. When the Bible speaks of God's love, it always talks about God loving man. I have never read where God says He loves the stars or the moon. He owns them all, but that doesn't mean that He necessarily loves them. God's love is expressed for man, not angels. God's love is not given only when He feels like giving it. He doesn't just give His love to the people who are easily loved. The world searches for love in all the wrong places. Teenagers want to be loved, so they think that by giving themselves away to someone else, that will buy them love. It's all over TV. Desperate House Wives...women who don't understand what true love is. Love is not something you always receive. Love is something that must be given. It grieves me to hear young people say that they are in love with their girlfriend or boyfriend, when in all honesty, they really don't know what that kind of love is. Love is not just about the feelings, emotions, and desires. Love means sacrafice. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.... Jesus died not because of emotions or feelings. He died because He knew the only way for His love to be real to man was that He would have to pay the sacrafice. I teach a Jr. High Sunday School class and every week I sit and listen about how their lives are going. It never fails, one will start talking about liking someone else. That's normal, don't get me wrong. But, I will say something I usually don't share too often. I have never had a 'boyfriend' or dated. Why? Believe me, I am as normal as everyone else, but I made a huge decision when I was very young. God said that if I could wait and make that sacrafice, that He would send me the one I am to spend the rest of my life with. So, that is what I am doing, waiting. You know what? It's not always easy. Sometimes I get very lonely. But, I made a promise with God that I will not break, nor do I have any desire to break it. I always wear a ring on my right hand to remind me of my promise. Why my right and not my left? To also remind me that some day I will wear another ring on my left hand. I won't stop wearing my promise ring after I get married. I want it to always stand as a reminder of my trust and love for God, not only for myself but also to for the one I marry. A promise ring? Actually, I started wearing this ring before I knew about promise rings. This is something God told me to do. Whenever I begin to have any sort of feelings for someone, I always ask God, "Is that the one?" He always answers in some way or another. He always tells me that I will know when the time comes and I won't have to ask. My point is...and yes I have a point! :) What are you willing to sacrafice for? What are you willing to lay down all you dreams for? What are you willing to give up everything for? Then those are the things you love. If the first things that came to your mind were just objects...you are missing out on true love. God wants us to love one another, not objects. When you love people, you will receive a reward of love back. But, don't always expect to receive, because, remember, it's about sacraficing. Love is the greatest gift. Don't let it go to waste, but don't abuse it either. God is Love. Think about that and you are on the road to understanding. :)