Originally posted 2015-12-22 13:00:30.
Hi,
Why is the subject of love so controversial; especially during certain times of the year; such as Christmas and New Years? Many people relate to the mixture of strong emotional statements that writers coin about love. Some write about the joy of finding someone who gives them a reason to smile. Yet some write about refusing to love. Some make staunch declarations of never loving again. Others sing the lyrics of a song that describes love as a second-hand emotion. But is that the case?
What are the actions of love?
A song writer once penned a stanza that love will make you do right and love will make you do wrong. Is that entirely true? How can love make you do wrong? I’m not pretending naivety here. I know the underlined meaning of that song. But when you love someone; how can you intentionally wrong them? When you wrong someone; full aware that it will cause them grief and heartache; is that true love in action? Is it possible to wrong someone for their own good? I just really don’t think so. When love is present, you just cannot relinquish someone’s love as if you are donating some old clothing to the Salvation Army. To wrong someone is not love. Love will make you do right.
…What about tough love? Sometimes you may have to allow someone who you love to experience a rough patch and allow them to cry a situation out to help them to grow. Have you ever heard the phrase, “”I’m doing this because I love you? Or I’m doing this for your own good?” How many parents have allowed our children to tough it out so that they can learn and grow from the repeated mistakes? Tough love is often very much-needed.
What are the reactions of love?
Sometimes your emotions can become seared from a multiplicity of hurts until you become fearful of allowing someone into your heart again. My sister you may have experienced an abusive relationship where the man cried to you and told you that he loved you after he beat you for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 
My brother, perhaps your wife was a cheater who cried to you and declared her love after you read the interrogating text messages on her phone. Perhaps you are a widow or widower who is dealing with grief. …Whatever the situation, it is love that will cause you to allow God to break you free from the self-binding walls of protection that you have erected due to past hurts and current pain.
The other night I watched a Christmas movie about a widowed mother who was reluctant to release her emotions to a gentleman who was helping her build a town Gazebo. The woman’s husband died three years earlier; and she felt guilt and fear of allowing the gentleman in; yet she was falling in love with him. After many self-defeating scenarios, she finally dropped the wall and the story ended with a happy ever after. How many men and women do you know who had a hard time tearing down the walls and allowing love to react to love? Or are you the one? Love will cause you to say “Yes” to the proposal from the one who God has shown you that you’ve finally found enough.
Love will cause you to break free from the infant stages of depression and laugh. Last week was long and arduous. I miss my daughter so until I dreamed several times about times when she was young and going through Sickle Cell pain crisis. The dreams were so real, until I felt the emotional pain of what I felt watching her suffer when she was young. Also, other things were happening with my family here in Michigan and in St. Louis that were weighing on me. 
But yesterday was full of love reacting to love. The ministerial session was great; and the morning service was absolutely life changing. The message was wonderful and reminded me of how much God loves me. After service, I spent hours with a group of sisters and brothers laughing and talking. Then the Christmas musical last night was totally refreshing. The love of the saints caused me to react in love. It was so much fun.
What exactly is love?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines love as a strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties. A warm attachment, enthusiasm, devotion, unselfish, loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another. The Bible tells us in 1 John 4:8 and 16 that God is love. A short definition of love in these texts in the original language for the Greek word “Agape” is: affection, good will, benevolence.
The story of Jesus is the story of God’s love. John 3:16, 17 says in The Message Bible, “This is how much God loved the world. He gave His Son. His one and only Son. And this is why so that no one need be destroyed, by believing in Him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go through all the trouble of sending His Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.” My friends, the very reason Jesus came was to lead us back to love.
What’s the “it” that’s associated with love?
The “it” associated with love comprises of a lot. Your “it” is sometimes associated with a person, place, thing, or situation. Perhaps you are in the mind frame of questioning what love has to do with you. Perhaps you are the one who never joins coworkers, associates or fellow Christians for dinner. Your “it” might be the need to let go of animosity for those who wronged you and allow love to heal your heart.
What DOES love have to do with it?
My friends, I believe that love has everything to do with whatever “it’ is in our lives. Love is so essential and necessary in our everyday lives. If love is present; we all will aim to do right. 
When love is present we will continue to love others. We won’t view it as a second-hand emotion; acquired after being used by another. Love is always fresh and new; which qualifies it to have everything to do with “it.”
I will leave you with a scripture that helps me to look at every aspect of my life and remember what love has to do with it. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (a) says, “Love is patient, love is kind, love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way, it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (NRSV)
Thank you for joining me in these Monday moments of reflections. Think about these questions: “What does love have to do with it? And what is the it associated with the love that you are to show? What are your thoughts? Join me in conversation. I’d love to hear from you. We’ll talk soon. I love you!
Blessings!
Rochelle
