The Meaning of Love

Always and forever. Perpetual and true. This is the kind of love we anticipate in childhood and chase after in adulthood. But do we truly know how to achieve it? We think we know about beauty and attraction and flirting and charm—but we don’t have the slightest hint, not a clue what we’re dealing with. Do we think that flowers and kissing and dancing is all there is to love? Even if you’re in a solid relationship with everything in place and no fighting at all, isn’t it still all about you? Frequent outings and easy conversation make for a great time, but what words would you use to describe your relationship? Glorious, intimate, exciting, secure… Has the word “sacrifice” ever gone through your head? What about “unconditional love”—not just the idea, but the way of life that’s included? True love is not simply a jaunt in the park—it takes practice and hard work—it’s a journey. And it can be a fun one! It’s not all hard knocks…it’s a blessing when you keep at it and learn to trust each other. Learning along the way—together!—will help you look at life from a different perspective. But we’re missing the most important part—unconditional love was modeled for us through Jesus Christ. The narrow way to heaven was too narrow for us—we needed him to make the first move, to offer hope to the lost. He tore down the obstacles between us by making himself the perfect sacrifice; he died an exceedingly painful death to bring us back to him—despite our quirks and mistakes. We may question his reasoning…why for us? But we will never regret his decision. He gave everything without asking for anything in return—and he wants us to do the same for others. We can’t measure up to the sacrifice he made for us, but we can trust in the gift that he’s given us and take it with no strings attached. Unconditional love is what God wants from us; he urges us to follow his example. Value your relationship and love that person with all the vices and follies that are part of the package. Don’t waste time arguing and holding grudges. Pray more and worry less. I suppose I’m not one to give you relationship advice due to my youthfulness and lack of experience. But I know the zeal God has for me, and I want to find someone as zany as me with whom I can share unconditional love.