Musing Monday :P

There is no shame in loving.

1 John 3:14
We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.

1 John 4:7
Dear friend, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

In today's workd, love has been made the enemy. Misinterpreted, misplaced, it has been made out to be the source of pain and confusion. Cynicism is encouraged, bravado is hailed as the best defence. If you slip and love, you've lost. We teach ourselves to protect ourselves from the one thing we should abandon ourselves to, risks and all. We, if blessed to have this feeling should not be building walls to keep it out at all costs, relying on our wills and strength to resist it. We should obey God, even in this, a field that we subconsciously keep separate...when it is one thing that God CONTINUOUSLY instructs us to embrace...but we break it down in agape and eros and whatever other sort of love there is and decree and declare and act like God won't do anything as trivial as ask us to fall in love,to be in love, to abandon ourselves to love. We righteously carry on like the only Love God is on about is the feed the poor and clothe the naked love. (That is not the topic of this post. There is nothing the matter with that context of love). We act like pre teens and are embarassed to say yes, if i love, am in love, it is a blessed thing. It is not silly, it is not "unserious" spiritually...

We should give in to it, praying for God's guidance through it, not asking Him, who IS Himself Love to protect us from it, or to take it away from us because we fear potential pain.

Culture took a deceitful turn at some point, pulling the wool over our eyes, teaching us that love is pain and is to be avoided at all costs. And we blindly, stupidly follow this, not even noticing the lie we've been slipped, because it is a "small" "not so serious on a grand scale" thing.

We look to God's word for other things, but this one, we've let it slip. LOVE. Give in to it, embrace it, take the risk and plunge in. It IS the substance of God. God loves us passionately, we are His bride, He woos us, He gave His only son that we may be saved, He forgives us and loves us unconditionally. Crazily, like, He is NOT thinking that He looks silly or that we are using Him. He just goes on giving us His all. He went to the greatest length that can be gone to to save us, to have us with Him...and then someone tries to separate romantic love as a small, insignificant offshoot of Love? gimme a break.

His word instructs us to love. It doesn't say, in some situations, love, and in these here other ones, please hold back. There is no footnote with that sort of message. It says, listen to you heart. If your heart is particularly asking you to love, then why resist it? In the context that God instructs us to love.

1 John 4:11
Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made Complete in us.

:18

There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears it is not made perfect in love.

:19

We love because He first loved us.

This relationship God blesses us with. This oppotunity, this intimacy, patience, relentlessly pursing us, loving us, forgiving us...this is the Great Romance. God is into head over heels. He IS head over heels in love with us. He puts Tom cruise on Oprah's couch to shame. That's how God feels about you...There is no selfishness in His love. He does.not.care. How He looks, going ape over you...this is love.

Fear has to do with punishment. This is the association of Love that the world has given us. That we are to fear love, because love is punishment and pain. When in truth, it is the opposite. It only becomes so when we expect something in return for the love we feel we have done someone the "favour" of giving. That is a misguided approach. This brings us to the very core of what love is, and what it is supposed to be. Selfless and unconditional, wanting NOTHING in return. Corinthians type love.

If and when you find it in you, if you allow God teach you, open you heart and at least glimpse the concept of just loving, because it is the desire in your heart, not setting down getting love in return as a prerequisite for giving it, not counting it an "investment" that should yield returns, THEN, love gives us joy from giving it, and not from receiving it. Receiving it is the cherry on top. In the way things are connected in this world, you will have no shortage of love, if you open your soul to it. But loving because you feel it in your soul, and giving in to it because it's what your heart wants, not looking for anything in return...that is ecstasy.

If for no other reason, then give in to love at least once, abandon youself to it, if for no other reason than a lesson in selflessness. Surely it will give you some insight as to what the Bible is on about on that topic.

I pray you are able to be vulnerable, to open your hearts, to unfold yourself to take down the walls at least a bit...and allow yourselves to love, without pride, without shame. It's not about winning. It is not a game. You have nothing to lose...and if you have nothing to lose, and you are not fighting, and no one is keeping score...then you are free, and there will be no hurt. Understand it like this. It's only when we keep score and turn love into trade that we are hurt. And even if, and when we do get hurt...it's all right, because you can say..i Loved. Totally and completely. For whatever period of time, my heart was filled with joy, i soared, i was alive, i am alive...and the growth it brings with it will never leave you..And that's all right.

And that's Monday's thought....hmm.