Love Like Crazy

Love can change a person; it makes our hard hearts into soft squishy things. But do we truly know what love actually is? There's songs about it, books about it, words to convey it - but do we actually understand it? We talk about how much we love people, but do we actually love them? Here is the definition of love from the dictionary: "an intense feeling of deep affection"; do you think that's actually just what love is? We see "love" (or what we guess to be love) all around us, but maybe it's not real, true love. To acquire perfect love seems simple enough, but it isn't. We don't know of perfect love on this earth.

When I was younger and we were learning about the Fruit of the Spirit, the first one I learned about was love. We would recite the fruits all the time, whether it was with our parents or just with the Sunday school class. For a five year old child, I didn't know anything about love. As far as I was concerned, love was just a word and something that my parents showed me, though I couldn't exactly see it. Nowadays I still feel like it's a little fuzzy; do I really, truly understand love?

According to the Bible, this is what love really is:


"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." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

That verse right there shows us exactly what pure love is. Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy or boast. In other words, that right there is perfect, unadulterated love.

Love is so crucial in our lives; I can't even stress how important it is. It's not the kind of love where you fall in love with someone and then marry them. This is the kind of love, where if someone is in desperate need, you come alongside them. It's the kind of love that when a friend is being wrongly accused, that you protect them. It's the kind of love that doesn't get jealous of things. It's the kind of love that is selfless; willing to lay down one's life for the other. It's the kind of love that slaps satan in the face, especially when he deserves it. It's the kind of love, that never fails, no matter what. So maybe love isn't like in the movies with a princess and a prince charming. Maybe love is when someone asks you for your coat, and you give them your shirt too (see Luke 6:30, Matthew 5:40). Love is going that extra mile when carrying someone's baggage on a rainy day.

It's hard to love. It's hard to love your enemies, because enemies can sometimes be stupid. And really, does God want us to love stupid people? I mean, come on God, even that horrible person that says rude things about me and hurts my feelings all the time? Even them? Yes, as hard as it is for me to say, God does want us to love our enemies, even the stupid ones. After all, love keeps no record of wrongs, and it always perseveres. "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:44-45a So yes, love your enemies as much as you love the people around you; in fact, love them more then your friends or your family. If someone has wronged you, hurt your feelings, or you feel like they used your trust, love them to the moon and back.

My challenge to you is to love like crazy. Love because God first loved us. Remember 1 Corinthians 13 and it's tale of love, depicting what iridescent, beautiful love is. Pray for your enemies and your friends/family. Love the unloveable. Give someone your shirt and your coat; walk the extra mile. There is so much gorgeousness in our Father's love, and mirroring that only makes you a more gorgeous person too. And if it's hard to love someone...well, all I can say, is that is more reason to love them. By doing this, you could make a new friend, change a life, save a life, and change your heart.

"Love that will not betray youDismay or enslave youIt will set you freeBe more like the manYou were made to be"- Mumford and Sons (Sigh No More)