Real love. Not the climactic crescendo seen and felt in movies and books. Not the lustful desire urged by hormones. Not quid pro quo.
No, love is sacrifice; a resolute devotion for another. Love is jealous, fearing someone will take what you posses. Love is giving; giving to the point of sacrifice.
Love is 1John 3:16:
”This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”
Love is intentional and is more than a feeling. In fact, love has little to do with feelings and more to do with choices. It is choosing you over me, choosing Jesus over all else.
There are several ways we can show intentional love: practically and deeply.
Practically loving my family is doing things for my husband and kids because I am intentionally “loving on them“ rather than doing things for the sake of “doing” them because I am a wife and mother. Practically loving my community, my neighbors, or a stranger is choosing to put their needs above my own. Sacrificing my time, my space, my rights, or my desires. (i.e. Allowing someone to skip in front of me or have the last gallon of milk at the store, waiting patiently, or holding my tongue when someone is rude.)
Equally important is the deep love, those gestures which involve touch whether it be through a friendly hug, intimacy with your husband, or taking someone’s hand for prayer. Deep love is loving someone through their most vulnerable moments of illness, death, depression, or financial need. It is *still* putting others' needs before your own.
Real love, real romance, real connection is sacrifice.
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