Love

Truly loving, for me, and I venture to say for all people, is the hardest discipline there is. To put others before oneself is a concept that we in America do not understand. Our lives are focused on our routines, schedules, needs, trials, hurts, successes etc... When we do end up loving on another it is for our own gain with motives to get something in return. We're afraid to truly love, because that kind of love will often produce hurt. People are imperfect, they will fail us in one way or another, and the people we're the closest to are often the ones who hurt us the deepest. We live in our lives of selfishness and fear and then wonder why we are so unsatisfied. Our world says that we'll be happy if we just look out for number one, but ironically that only leaves us empty and wanting. Our purpose is to love. It will require all of who we are to do so; it will hurt and heal all at the same time. Ultimately though, when we start to unconditionally love imperfect people, we get a taste of the kind of love Christ has for us when we are not, and never will be, worthy to receive His love. We can hide our hearts, withhold our love, and only think about ourselves, but we will miss it. We need to put our hearts on the line, we need to love as Christ has loved...we will get broken, yes, but we will be healed and restored; weaker, yet stronger in Christ. We will find our fulfillment, our joy, and our purpose in our love for God and others. We've been taught to let no one penetrate our hearts so that we will never be "weakened" by a broken heart, but C.S. Lewis put it so clearly when he wrote the following about the heart: "If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket - safe, dark, motionless, airless - it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable."