A LETTER FROM HEAVEN

Dear Children

I have called you together to be lovers and to reflect my love for you. I created the marriage relationship to be the visible expression of my nature on earth. I created you together in my image, so that I can reveal myself to you and to the world through your relationship. As I am three-in-one, Father, Son and Holy Spirit so you are to be two-in-one, united in marriage.

You each have your own personality and function, but you are also called to serve and work for the well-being of the other. As you learn to submit to one another in love, always wanting the best for each other, you will find freedom to become all that I, your Father, intended you should be.

There is an important, life-changing lesson here to learn. Fulfilment does not come from getting what is rightfully yours; fulfilment comes from relinquishing all those rights for the sake of your partner. I call you to lay down your life for the one you love. True love is based on unconditional acceptance. Your love is to be a safe place to which you can retreat when you feel battered, rejected and alone. I loved you so much that I gave my Son – his life for yours. You are to be an earthly demonstration of that love. You did not deserve my love, but I have always been there for you, and always will be. My plan is that we should be together forever in the place I am preparing for you. You may not always feel that your partner deserves your love, but when you choose to love just because you love, you are being like me.

Enjoy your love! Be happy that I have brought you together. Accept the responsibility and privilege that comes with taking marriage vows. Learn how to carry each other’s burdens; to hear each other’s hurts; to give pleasure to one another. Keep your eyes on me and I will pour my love into yours. A cord of three strands is not easily broken. Allow me to help you to change so that as individuals and as a couple you become more like my Son, Jesus. I want to do more for and through your relationship that you could ever ask or even think.

Lovingly,

Your heavenly Father.

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WHAT REALLY IS LOVE?

The Concept of Love

Has someone ever told you “I love you”? How did you feel?  Have you ever felt loved? What does love really mean?

Love is a strong feeling of affection and concern for a person or a thing. The truth is that everyone needs love and loves to be loved.  Without love the world is an unsuitable place to live in. 

There are different ways of expressing love, and love means different things to different people.

For example, to an attractive young lady, a footballer, a boy who has a new girlfriend and a mother, love would mean different things.

Types of Love

In Greek, there are four words for ‘Love’: Storge, Philia, Eros and Agape

Storge: This refers to family affection. It is the love a parent has for a child and a child for a parent.  It is a relationship of warmth, comfort and togetherness that is based more on familiarity than merit.

Philia: This is friendship love, which exists between people who share similar interests such as sports, religion, academics, professions, etc.  This kind of love is warm, may not be jealous or exclusive and does not resent addition to its circle.

Eros: This is romantic and sexual love.  It exists between a male and female. It refers to the whole romantic side of our nature. It is an appreciation and admiration of each other’s sexuality. This type of love can fluctuate.

Agape: This is divine love.  It is an unconditional love that is rooted in God’s nature. It is giving and selfless. “For God so loved the world that He gave…” John 3:16.

All the first three kinds of love are polluted and corrupted by sinful nature but when they are founded in Agape, they become pure

Love and Infatuation

Infatuation, simply stated, is a selfish inward looking emotion that comes quickly and disappears just as quickly.  It can occur at first sight or contact.  It is “being temporarily filled with an intense and unreasoning attraction to a person or a thing” (the Oxford Secondary Dictionary).

Listen to this story: Dan had never been to this part of town where a basketball competition was about to begin. On arriving at the venue he went to admire the environment, the basketball pitch and other attractions around. Then he sighted Rose who also came for the competition.  Instantly, Dan fell in love with her and started imagining how they could be together. He did not waste any time in approaching her. “Hello, I love you. I want you to be my girlfriend. I love you so much and in fact I cannot do without you.”  Rose looked at him with admiration.  “I love you too and I’m ready for you,” she replied. Then they both started chatting excitedly.

Can you call this love? Let’s look out some differences between love and infatuation

 

Love	Infatuation
Patient	Hurries:
Takes time to know and give	-Super big, rush for security, acceptance, affection, adventure
Accepts	Seeks to change
Believing the best, thinks the best, always dependable, aims to build and make better	-Wants to change personality, lifestyle to fit in with me or my stereotype
Kind	Demands
Longs to serve, thoughtful, sensitive and caring	-Wants to be served, becomes indifferent, does not take time to understand.
Not jealous	Possessive/insecure
Freedom to develop and have many friends, time and space to be oneself.	-Hostile and distressed over any person or activity that deprives you of time together
Not easily provoked or angry	Easily provoked
Honest, willing to look at weakness in self and others	-Ignores and hides differences and weaknesses, fear, etc.
Not selfish	Selfish
Greatest desire to see that others’ needs are met first	-Wants personal needs met first- Emotional needs must be satisfied

Infatuation may mislead you to think that you are in true love, but after a few days or months you will discover that true love is lacking. Do not be a victim of infatuation (lust).  Be wise and turn to Jesus with all your heart. Note that all forms of sexual sin are a direct product of infatuation (lust).

John. 3:16, 1 Cor. 13