Love's Simplicity... or not.

Love is the most pleasant experience, in this life, and it is one of the only things that will count in eternity. Whether you have been loved by someone or have the good fortune of loving someone you have to agree that it is truly wonderful. I know of no other feeling like it. I know of nothing for which I would trade it.

The most beautiful love story of all time is the story of Christ. Novelists have tried to write one so beautiful and have come as close as possible with human characters and minds. But Christ's selfless life and selfless death, even in the face of complete rejection by those He loved, is such an astounding story that it is hard for us to imagine a better.

Did you know that Christ actually died of a broken heart? He did. A heart doctor said that it is the only way water and blood could have poured from His wound. The Psalms prophesied that He would die of a broken heart. Ps. 22:14 "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. " Can you imagine actually dying of a broken heart? It wasn't the cross that killed our lover, it was our rejection of His love. Can you imagine the pain of a bursting heart?

So, is it impossible to love like this? Is it possible to love so freely, fully and selflessly as to be in danger of a (physically)broken heart? The Bible says, (1 John 4:7) "Love is of God... for God is love". Does this mean that everyone, that knows God, loves? It didn't say that, but at least I know it is possible to truly love. True love is possible for someone who knows God.

I am praying for Christ-like love and it scares me. Because Christ-like love means a love full of truth, full of faith, and is completely selfless. Christ was persecuted and hated. No one at the time took pleasure in His love or even recognized it as love. Even as he died the ones who loved him most forsook him, and is this the life I want? No. How could I? Like most, I want to love and be loved in return. I want to be delighted in and cared for even as I delight in and care for someone else. Seems pure enough, right? It is also known as a 50/50 deal. I will do to you what I want you to do to me. But if you ever love me less I will love you less in return. This is the worlds love and it cannot endure.

The lasting love of Christ must be unconditional. It is a love that will never fail because it does not depend on circumstances, it doesn't depend on another persons feelings or actions. It is His character, not His mood or His response. So this kind of love can also be my character. Love, for me, must no longer be a mood or a response. Wow. Let it be, Lord, in my life let this be!