Well, Valentine’s Day has come and gone. How is that romantic feeling now? It seems like this idea of romance that is so sought after and pushed by our society does not last long.
Probably just until the next fight or disagreement. Romance is far more delicate than one might think. Romance is fun and exciting, crazy and over the top emotionally. It creates feelings that rival the strongest emotions in the human physique. Such a powerful emotion, yet so fragile.
Contrast romance with love. Love, which, in its deepest meaning, is amazingly strong and long-lasting. Love is often mislabeled. The Biblical definition is very different than that of romance. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13 that LOVE never fails. That is quite a statement. The thought that love never fails brings many questions to mind. What about divorce? What about war and the violence that seems to saturate our society. If love never fails, why is this world in such a shape?
All reasonable questions, and deserve an answer. Quite simply, each of those situations are because people have made a choice to refuse to let love flow through them. Love is not generated in the human heart. So, unless we allow our hearts to connect to the source of love, we will find that we are not capable of letting love flow through us. I have seen people try to love, to give it all they had, used all their willpower, but fell short and gave up.
Love is a Divine characteristic. God is defined by love. The definition of love is God. God does not have love, HE is LOVE. And the only way for a human to truly love is for that human to allow God to flow through them towards others. That is why love never fails, because God never fails. Yes, there are times God is rejected, just like love can be rejected. Love does not force itself on people. God does not force HIMSELF on people.
So, when people refuse to love, the result is pain or worse. So the cause of those harsh situations like divorce and war is a result of people making a choice to refuse to love, to refuse to allow God into their situations.
1 John 4:7-11 NKJV Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. (8) He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (9) In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. (10) In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
(11) Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
This kind of “love-life” is often seen as unromantic, but it is far more powerful and enduring.
Romance is wonderful and should be enjoyed. But for longlasting powerful relationships, there is no substitute for God’s love. I truly believe that God’s love does produce episodes of romance and excitement. If there is anything I know, it’s that true love is not boring. The Romance vs. Love by Pastor McAdams adventure of God’s love will encounter those powerful and crazy emotions, but without the aftershocks of heart break and loneliness.
Jesus was the supreme example of God’s love. I don’t think HIS life was boring. In fact, HIS life was filled with love AND adventure. Jesus’ love was anything but fragile. HE showed the power of LOVE. I will take HIS love over any substitute that society offers.
If you have not surrendered to God’s love, there is nothing more powerful. Love will change your life! And not just in the short term, it will change your “ever after” for the better.