Hey Friend, it’s February, the month of love!!! What is love and is it even possible to experience or give lasting love? To most love is about how you feel towards another person (could be a parent, friend, boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, sibling, colleague etc.). It is highly emotion driven but mostly given on a conditional basis. I would say most people in the world demonstrate their affections, compassion, and strong commitments towards their significant other(s) only when that significant other treats them a certain way. However when they are mistreated in any way, those feelings of ‘love’ immediately vanish and the people involved go from ‘best friends’ or ‘lovers’ to the ‘worst of enemies’. This kind of love is prevalent in almost all facets of society. An environment where this kind of love is heavily prevalent is the entertainment industry, where actors/actresses/musicians/sportists/artists get hitched and a few days or weeks later they get divorced or separated. This way of expressing and receiving ‘love’ generally results in hurt, broken relationships, lack of peace/joy, and at times causes some to take their own life. Could this way of showing and receiving ‘love’ be the reason why there is a low percentage in marriage commitment today? It seems there is no hope for better friendships, marriages and other relationships when the love we experience or give is strictly emotion base as well as conditional. So, is there a way out or another option?

Yes! I do believe there is another another option we can tap into to enable us to experience/give lasting and fulfilling love. However we must be equipped to be able to receive, give and recognize lasting love. I believe the only kind of love that is lasting and which can help us experience as well as give lasting love is ‘Divine Love’. This is a love that is given by God Himself. The Bible in 1 John 4: 7-10 refers to God as being love; meaning that He is the author of love. According to the Bible passage of 1 Corinthians 13, love is described as ” being Patient/kind, not envious/ boastful/arrogant/rude/ insisting on its own way/ irritable or resentful, not rejoicing at wrongdoing but rejoicing with the truth, bearing all things, believing all things, hoping all things, enduring all things. Love never ends”. Divine love (love from God) is lasting, it never ends. While this kind of love is out of our league, it is definitely not out of reach. God’s kind of love involves 3 things, the heart/emotion (feelings), mind, but also the will and it is not conditional or circumstantial. In fact The Lord Jesus Christ commanded His disciples in the Gospel of Matthew (chapter 5 verses 44-45) to “love” their enemies and even pray/do good to those who persecute them. Like, who does that? It’s the God kind of love that enables one to do that. In Romans 5:8 the Bible tells us that God “demonstrated His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us”. Also, John 3:16, says “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so anyone who believes in Him will not die but have everlasting life”. So God Himself through His Son Jesus Christ exemplified/embodied divine love and made it accessible for us .

When there is divine love, selfishness or selfish ambitions are removed, strong and genuine relationships are built, freedom from the emotional/mental prison of unforgiveness is experienced, emotional hurts/wounds are healed, healthy mind is reinstated, marriages/friendships and relationships in general are restored to a healthier state. When Divine love is welcomed and given space to flourish, love in its fullness is ultimately enjoyed and celebrated. So how do we actually attain this Divine love?Where else except from God Himself who is the author of love as is said in 1 John 4 (Love is of God) and Whose Son, Jesus Christ, walked this earth over 2000 years ago to show us this love by paying the penalty of death for all our wrong doings including our wrong way of giving love?

Showing/giving lasting love has never been a default for me. In fact there were many instances in my life when I deliberately did not want to show love because of someone’s negative action/attitude towards me. However I noticed that every since I Looked Up to God’s Son,Jesus Christ, to fill me with His Divine love, I experienced forgiveness/pardon for all my wrongdoings and my eyes were opened to the selfish and wrong ways in which I too had given or showed love those around me. The Love of and from God that worked forgiveness in me for my own wrong ways of showing love also enabled me to show genuine love (offer forgiveness, a helping hand, showing understanding etc) to those around without any hidden wrong motives or agenda and without letting my feelings dictate my actions/attitudes towards those who may have wronged me. It is definitely not easy to show love in its fullest form when situations are not to our advantage or the other person does not seem to deserve it; but when we Look Up to Jesus Christ, the Author of true lasting love, it becomes possible. I am always encouraged by the Bible passage, Philippians 4:13, which says that through the strength of Christ we can do all things, and this includes showing, receiving and recognizing lasting love, one that never ends and that is not based on our feelings or selfish interest/agendas.

If you have already experienced the God kind of Love, be encouraged to continue to allow it to work its full effect in and through you, as showing/giving real and lasting love is an ongoing daily choice we have to make with God’s help and strength. If you have not experienced this God kind of love, be encouraged to Look Up to The Lord Jesus Christ for help, because He will both fill you with His love and enable you to share that love without any hidden agenda to all those around you.

Share below a thought or two on the topic of lasting love 🙂