My beef is that we use it too much. Lets get frugal for about 30 seconds and make up something else. Most people who truely love something more than other things (collectively, their 'love' [reminds me of 'my precious'])devote more time to those, and that is where we get art about or for said 'love', and songs or poetry are written. You rarely hear songs about how much someone is infatuated with a taco unless it's a parody.
But let's push past that. making exceptions for the use of the word 'love' is like making an exception of what you love the most. If you say to your spouse, "I love you!" and then to another woman, "I love you!" you will come away with some confusion and possibly a highly angry spouse. How then does that compare to anything else?
The point behind this is to tighten up on the American slack. We make short-cuts for everything, and defining the things we highly enjoy or like exuberantly is one of those short-cuts. Our language is losing it's value.
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When I say the word 'love' I (and possibly you) think of the color red, maybe flowers, heart shapes, someone special, romance, etc.. While all of those can remain true (it gives me those thoughts, so thats proof enough that they are all valid expressions) 'love' is still so much more. We are all aware of the 'love' chapter ("Love is patient, love is kind..") and the idea of ultimate sacrifice (Jesus or anyone giving their life for someone else to benefit, in love of course [see, "there is no greater love than for a man to lay down his life for another"])
The element we tend to miss (and sometimes, in church, find inappropriate) is the helping side. What I mean by inappropriate is a little reversed from the definition; let me explain the way it (helping love) should be, then come back.
The honest care for someone's life so much that you make every effort to assure they don't hurt themselves; and when they do hurt themselves, make every effort to help them heal. That is helping love.
More specifically on that: This includes the attitude of love that doesn't lavish with gifts 24/7: this attitude restricts and prevents in the name of love.
I can already see examples of both sides taking that statement too far.
Know this: God likes balance. Both attitudes of love must be exemplified.
Back to the inappropriate thing: this would be things like spreading info (particularly reputation-damaging info) around in order to "guilt" someone out of their sins. This is WRONG. And it's found most, where? In the church.
"Oh, we all need some understanding; we all need love.
..and every time you love, let it lift someone else up.
If somebody tries to burn you, give them your hand and turn and pick him up when he's all alone. And if you find yourself getting frustrated, try not to get too jaded..
So have some faith, you say? And hope will find it's way? .. It seems to me, the greatest of these is love. But it's so hard to love.. "
I was talking with Sarah on the way to the Mae concert (which was pretty good. I happen to highly enjoy Mae at just about every moment of the day) about life. Her's, particularly. She expressed her awkward feelings on current life situations. This really sent me into a thought frenzy. I'll try to recapture (and possibly shorten) my response to her.
It's not up to God or Chance to decide your life path. Obviously God, Chance and Satan have plans for your life already, but it is ultimately up to you. God has the best plan created: He knows every perfect route to take at every moment (Bible time? Jer 29:11 I think.. "I know the plans I have for you... plans to prosper").
Let's zip out of what we know, and start with the freshness of.. existence. Our role as humans is not to let the world happen around us: Evil/negative forces are set on auto-pilot, so we're guaranteed bad stuff happening on its own; but positive forces are up to us (dun dun: not on auto-pilot). It's pretty unfair, I know. Leave the world alone and it will die.
Our role is comparable to the role of an ambassador. Ambassadors go from a 'base' to a 'foreign territory' armed with the power and complete understanding of the [desires] of the 'base'. The Ambassador must be on constant update/communication with the 'base' as to know what to do in every situation in the 'foreign territory'. And then HE DOES IT.
Now our part's analogy: We are the ambassador. The world (all the peoples) are the 'foreign territory' and the Kingdom of God is our 'base'. Yeah, it sounds weird and probably not original, but follow me.
Goal 1: get to 'foreign territory'
Goal 2: understand the [desires] of the 'base'
Goal 3: act on the [desires] of the 'base'
How are we doing?
The world hurts. God's plan is to fix that hurt, using us. We HAVE to learn His mind so we can act on it (remember, He knows every best move)
So what of these [desires] of Chance and Satan? We are NOT here to just let them happen and sit idle: We are to overcome. Be more than conquerors.
Don't wilt, waiting for the future. You are the future. You have the dreams.
I'll finish with this AWESOME quote from the Message
31-39 So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:
They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.
We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.
None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.
