Love

I was watching a video by "blimey cow" on Youtube.  You can watch the video here.  In the video, a question is posed. "What is the opposite of love?"  This question really caught my attention while I was watching youtube videos.  The reason it caught my attention is because there are many different definitions of love.  In my mind, love is a lot of work.  I have to work hard to have all of the attributes of love that are stated in 1 Corinthians (what I have found to be the most complete definition of love)

Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no

record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 

 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.  But where there are prophecies, they will cease;

 where there are tongues, they will be stilled;

 where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

I Corinthians 13:4-8

 

It is hard to be patient, and kind.  It is difficult to not envy, boast or be proud.  It's challenging to not be selfish, anger easily, or not hold things against people.  It's troublesome to always be truthful, protecting, trusting, hopeful, and perseverant.  How can one go about life without failing?

In my eyes, when you tell someone that you love them, it isn't an emotion you feel towards them, but it is making a promise that you will do your best to try to reach the standards set for you in 1 Corinthians.  Let me tell you something: You will fail.  You will fall so short that only the grace of God could help you!  But the good thing is this:  God will help you!  

We love because he first loved us. 

I John 4:19

Only once we realize and accept God's love for us can we fully love those around us.

Okay, that definition of love took me a little longer than I expected.  But now I will discuss the opposite of love.  No, it isn't hate.  (If you haven't watched the youtube video yet, do so now).  The opposite of love is fear.  

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 

I John 4:18

 

The other day I was swimming with several families in a large high school pool.  One of the kid's moms asked me to watch one of her kids jump off of the diving board, because she couldn't watch both of her younger children at once.  I readily complied to her request and we walked over to her son.  

As soon as the mother told her young child that he could go off of the diving board, he was exuberant.  His mother sort of sighed and said, "I wish he had a little more fear."  But in my head I thought, "WOW!"  This child is so trusting in our love that he doesn't have to be afraid.  He trusts his mom's love completely and wholeheartedly.  In his mind, there was no reason to be afraid.  He knew that his floaties would keep him up, and if they didn't, I would be right there to help him get to the side of the pool.

 

Humbling thought: A little child can love better than most of the world.

I will leave you with these two verses to ponder:

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 

I Corinthians 13:13

 

 And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 18:3