A Divine Demonstration

Talked to a pal from IRC just now. He was sharing with me how disillusioned he was with love. I could understand why. Out of four relationships - three of his girlfriends cheated on him. One of them ran off with his BEST friend.

Though I have heard many of such stories in recent years, these tragic love stories never cease to amaze me. They keep happening, and I watch The O.C. being replayed in real life time and again.

He went on to say that he would rather invest his time in his work, than on relationships - which he has somehow lost the ability to trust. I could truly relate to that - having been a victim of such betrayals myself. Commitment phobia kicked in the day LC left me for another girl.

Disbelief swept all over your entire being when you finally realize how much of yourself you have sank into the relationship - your heart, soul, time, days, nights, tears. Only to end up with nothing again. It hurts.

However, I know that being a Christian, though I may lose faith in men, I should never lose faith in the Lord. Irene sent me an article recently, and it truly humbled me. Let me share it here on this very blog - and pray that anyone who feels the same as my friend and I, would be comforted by these words.

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A Divine Demonstration of Love
By: Dr. Charles Stanley

We all have some idea of what we think love is. But when we talk about God's unconditional love, what do we mean? Just what is this love?

We have difficulty understanding divine love when we try to define it by its opposite - false "love," which sets limitations and always withholds something. This so - called love clings to control and gives only in order to manipulate. It is emotionally detached and unwilling to be vulnerable.

Genuine love, on the other hand, means loving people for who they are, not for what they have to give. It means understanding who the other person really is and loving without restriction. If you must be in control and your heart is not 100% in it, you don't understand what true love is all about.

Looking at the love of Jesus Christ at the cross, I see the most perfect demonstration of love to be found anywhere. The Savior showed us how unlimited His love is - He gave us Himself and withheld nothing! (Romans 8:32) He also let go of the control that was rightly His. He did not give His love to manipulate us, but rather He gave us a free will so that we could choose to accept or reject Him.

And He loved us with vulnerability, already knowing His love would be rejected - even ignored or mocked. In loving with His whole heart, He was willing to be turned down and hurt.

If you want to know what love is all about, look at the Cross. Jesus gave His best - His all - to love us so that we could become children of God. (1 John 3:1)