Do We Really LOVE?

Love. Such a common term in our little materialistic world. I'm just as guilty as the next person. "Oh I love this song", "I love him he's so cute", or my personal struggle 'I love these clothes". What is love anymore? What does it mean when its thrown at any and everything we talk about? In that sense, it means absolutely nothing. It saddens me to know that we as fleshly humans have taken such a precious gift, and twisted it into a warped nothingness. Love was not meant to be abused. Love, true love is a gift that God has given us. It allows us to connect to one another on a whole different level. It gives us a sense of worth, and selflessness like nothing else I've ever experienced. It opens our eyes to the world around us. With how much our society claims to "love",they aren't showing the side effects much, huh? If we truly loved people, we wouldn't let petty things ruin friendships forever. If we loved others, churches wouldn't split over who made the deacons list. If we built our marriages on Christ and love instead of sex, Alabama wouldn't have 13 divorces for every 1,000 people. If we truly loved everyone, there would be no hatred towards someone for the color of their skin. If we trulyloved like Christ, we wouldn't be murdering people, we would be laying our own lives down for them. Christ didn't say "Oh I love those folks down there" then turn away and let us suffer and die in our failings, He died for us. He didn't die for only the "Blacks", only the "Whites", or only the "Indians". Heloved and died for EVERYONE. Can we do that? Can we stop putting people in folders and stamping "Love These" on only some of them? Can we stop using the word "love" in the sense that it is a feeling? Love is a choice, not a feeling. Can we stop talking and love through what we do, how we live? Can we be the difference? I'm challenging myself. I decided that I'm not going to use the word "LOVE" unless I truly, wholeheartedly mean it. Why don"t you try it with me, and lets be the love that this world so desperately needs.