Love

the other day i was thinking about self-sacrificial love and the Christ-like love we are taught to imitate. Genuine love, self-sacrificial love. Love that is willing to die for another.

"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends" John 15:13

Love is something very great - God is love. Faith, hope, love - the greatest of this is love.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us

1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

In 1 cor 13, we read about how even if we have the biggest faith, the greatest gift, but we have not love - we are nothing. The bible also talks about how if we claim to love God but dont love our brother,then we are liars, because how can we whom cannot love that which we can see, love that whom we cannot see?

So love, is a very great thing. The love that God has for us, is that Christ died even when we were sinners, even when we rejected him.  If someone rejected you continuously, spat on you, and sent you to die, will you still be able to love that person? In relationships, we often need a response, we often, as girls, want to be pampered, to be showered with attention - but is that what love is all about? Or is love about - giving your all for someone (even your life) with nothing in return? J once told me that he believes that love is about 100 % giving, and if two people give their 100%, both would also receive 100%. that is of course, in a perfect ideal situation. But, would you still strive to give your 100%, regardless of what the response is, simply because, you love that person?

To me, its a struggle, no one wants to be hurt, to be on the losing end, to have unrequited love, or even to love more than the other loves you. We want to be loved, and we are - by God who showed us how great love is. He loved us even when we were sinners, and because we are secure in this love, we can then go on to love others. It really makes me think about my relationship and how i can be so selfish at times, but im incredibly thankful that God has shown us the way and has first loved us, so that we can be filled with His love and can go on to love others.  Times when our actions go unappreciated, turn back to God and remember how He loved us.  And remember, perfect love casts out fear.

To love to the point of dying or sacrificing for another without any returns- a fool, or love?