Love

I'm two days late but let's talk about love today. And what better way to do that than by looking at a very famous verse in the Bible:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, 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."

Corinthians 13:4 - 13:7

So many people (girls especially) love coming to me with this verse. And I agree. It's a beautiful, beautiful verse. The thing is, while so many believe love to be like this, it almost never quite happens in real life.

"Why is my boyfriend flirting with that other girl?" - Love does not envy?

"How come one moment she says she will always love me, the next she goes for another guy?" - Love always perseveres?

"Why is it that no matter how much I love her, she never returns it to me?" - Love is not self-seeking?

Interesting isn't it? The "love" that we see in many of our relationships today doesn't embody what has been beautifully written in the Bible. Instead, this so called "love" is a mixture of emotions that are based on selfishness, jealousy and attachment.

I'm going to touch a bit on myself. I've been there, done that. Had my fair share of selfish love. And broke my heart along the way.

In my life thus far, there have been two girls whom I have given my heart, my soul to. Both have never returned that love. And does it hurt? But of course. You've been there yourself. That feeling you get when that one person whom you know is the One never accepts you.

It hurt. But why? Simple, because it was not unconditional love. It was attachment.

Oh my gosh, how can any of us ever achieve unconditional love? How can we ever embody the infinite love written in Corinthians?

It's hard. So hard. Truly, it is. Here's the thing though, God embodies that love. No matter how much we've turned against Him, no matter how much we've left Him for worldly pleasures, no matter how much we've angered Him - He's always still there for us, and will accept us with open arms.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son" - John 3:16

God loved the world so much despite all the evil deeds we have done that he sent Jesus to save us. And Jesus, despite taking in all the punishments of the world, and despite being rejected by so many people, still loved us enough to continue his mission.

But I digress, can only God achieve this kind of love? Will we mere mortals never be able to give unconditional love? I will say no. Because Jesus is not just the Son of God, he is also the Son of Man, and if he can do it while walking on this Earth as a person, so can we. Throughout history, there have been so many selfless, compassionate people - Mother Theresa, the Dalai Lama etc. (Hmmm... Wonder why they're all single?)

So what does this mean for me? It means I no longer chase after relationships, romantic or otherwise. I have learned to love people enough such that I let them lead their own lives, even if it causes me sorrow that they turn away from me. While it hurts me to see people drift away, it hurts me even more if I find out that these people do not appreciate, or even despise my company. I've learned to let go.

So my friends, I just want to say this to you. Love is indeed beautiful. Paul got it right when he said that the greatest of faith, hope and love is love. But do remember, don't love someone for your own selfish reasons, love someone for the sake of love. And that means loving someone unconditionally, and that means letting your loved one do what he or she wants to do. And that means letting go.

My friends, I just want to say that I love all of you very much, so much so that I let you pursue what you want to pursue, so much so that it's alright for you to neglect me. But if you ever need me, know that I am always here for you if you so choose.

Happy Belated Valentines peeps! =)