Lost Are The Love Stories

Hi Girls,

I started reading Hosea today in my Bible and because I'm reading The Message version there is a commentary before each chapter. I read the commentary and realized how true it was. Love stories are corrupted. Did you ever think of that?

I wonder if children and youth growing up even understand what love is or know what a true love story should look like. 1 Cornithians 13-4-8 tells us what love is "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." This is a tall order and the love stories we read or watch on TV often fall short.

Think of the popular love stories out there today. I can't think of one story that fulfills all these catagories (if you can, let me know) besides Jesus's life, death and resurrection. Many love stories now show us selfish love not selfless love. Guys and girls pursue each other for their own end, for their own sexual/physical desires. Love is a joke. Sometimes it seems to last, most of the time couples break up and then quite often make up and make out, until someone new and better comes along. Media shows people who seem to care deeply about each other for awhile but it never seems to last- what happened to love always perseveres?? It's so easy to find examples of the opposite of that Cornithians verse.

Love stories are corrupted by sin. And that isn't so shocking because we are all faulty in some way, so our love stories come up imperfect. But yet, the redemptive power of love is not often shown. Forgiveness, no record of wrongs, always trusts- those characteristics very rarely come into play in our movies. More often, it's so and so cheated- or treated me wrong- can't love them anymore, gotta leave, find someone new.

I think this is a sad tale because many non Christian girls, and even some Christian girls, grow up having a very poor idea and example of what love is. Love by itself is hollow, empty, manufactured emotion but God's love, love from God, is everything, is life and hope and real. We have to know God's love in order to live in love, and to treat others with love. God's love is demonstrated in 1 Corinithians. It's demonstrated through the very real example of Jesus. He's the ultimate love story (although, I think sometimes, that aspects gets overlooked in the preaching on Jesus's life). I think we all need to learn and understand this so we can experience the real blessing and fulfulness of love in our lives and not get caught up with believing that love is what we see in the world.

God's love can change the world. Everyone needs God's love. We need to fill our hearts and minds with his love, with true, real examples of love. We can find that by reading the Bible and spending time with God but also there are examples around us if we look carefully. For example, a couple celebrating a 50 year anniversary, people selflessly helping and serving others (like many mothers and fathers do), sacrificing your time to support someone in their time of need, forgiving when you feel more like being angry- that's all good love.

I hope that our lives represent God's love to others. That we live amazing love stories that inspire people to seek God and believe in what love was created to be.