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What Does it Mean to Be Loved?

I have asked this question many times over the course of my 32 years of life. A s a Christian I know the pat answer of 1 Corinthians 13 but the question is what does that look like?

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, 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.

As a pastor's kid people often say they "love" you but that love can end up being a source of great heartache and pain. I've spoken before of being two people. The good "church approved" girl and the true me, who isn't that much different from the first mind you but definitely falls short of the standard that me church community would deem acceptable.

Which brings me back to, "What does it  mean to be loved?". If you don't truly love me as the "church approved" girl and you don't love me as me did you ever really love me at all?

Love is tricky because the world says that its a feeling which means that its optional and can fade at whim. However, God commands us to love which means its an action and only stops if you stop doing it.

People don't fall out of love, they stop loving.

The way that I love people is not the way they love me back sometimes and that is hurtful and often I have felt unloved. The thing is that I really should have been looking for my source of love from God not from people.

God is always patient with me, always kind. He doesn't envy me. He doesn't big Himself up to make me feel small even though He totally could. His pride doesn't keep Him from loving me unconditionally. He's not loving me for His own personal gain. He's not short-tempered when I mess up and when I mess up He doesn't keep a record of it. He doesn't delight in my misgivings but wants me to succeed. He always watching out me, always believes in me, always keeps loving even when I'm deemed by the world to be unlovable.

When He could say I told you so He doesn't. His dreams for my life surpass the dreams I have for myself. He NEVER stops loving me.

I wish when I was younger I truly understood the depth of God's love the way I understand it now. I was taught that when I do the wrong thing God would stop loving me but that is not true. It is directly contradictory to God saying NOTHING can separate you from my love. That is what people do. We withhold love as punishment.

God is love. He is the ESSENCE of love. So when people hurt us, abuse us and say they love us that's not love because that's not God.

I can't control others and how they love me but I can control myself. I can love the way God loves and I can hold on to His unfailing love and I can find rest in that even in the midst of situations that would seek to destroy me. This isn't easy but being loved by God means He shares our burden (Matthew 11:28-30).

Personally, without God I would have given up already on this life but His love is what saved me.

The Unlikely Missionary
DHW
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