Love:
When talking
about love in a romantic relationship most people refer to the attraction
between two individuals. But love is more than a sensation or a
chemical reaction between two bodies. It is an attitude in life characterized
by self-giving. It is enriched by everyday decisions to love again and it dries
out when you stop cultivating acts of kindness toward the other. Love is not
something that happens to us, “to love” is a verb, it is action,
it is something we do.
Love applies to a romantic relationship but can also
apply to family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors.
Every time we put aside our ego, our personal interest, and give attention to
the need of somebody else, we love. To love is to give preference to somebody
outside yourself, you have to be able to see the importance, dignity, and value
of others.
Even in a
romantic and sexual relationship, you are to pursue the satisfaction of the
person you love, not your own. If you focus only on your own satisfaction, it
would be just selfish sex but not love. And love is what binds people together,
not just sex.
Marriages don’t last when you marry to be happy. If
you are looking for your own happiness don’t think in marriage. Marriage is
hard work. Marriage requires you to make somebody happy not just for you to be
happy. If your motivation to getting married is selfish, your marriage will not
work. But if you really love there is hope. And yes, you will end up happy too.
Cupid does not
represent love. It only represents the initial passion and attraction between
two people. Love is more than that. It last longer, your whole life, if you
cultivate it every day.
In the Bible,
Jesus is presented as the maximum expression of love: He gave His life for our
redemption. He cared for us. When you love, you give yourself to others. If you
are a giver, you are a lover. If you are a taker, you are just thinking about
yourself. When you move from the circle of your own interest to the interests
and needs of others, you are starting to love.
Let use this valentine time to be less selfish and
more giving. Let be more loving.
Daniel Martin
