to truly love means.........

"...to truly love means to give yourself for others. To give yourself entails accepting disappiontment and laying yourself open to suffering. To suffer - if you do so in the close company of Christ means ultimately to reign with Him." -Be Still My Soul by Elizabeth Elliot

As I sat in my bed yesterday reading this portion of the book I thought to myself, "Lord, do I truly love?" I don't mean a superficial love with all the fuzzy's and joyful bliss (althoug love does have that) but I mean the true choice of loving, even if it means getting hurt in return, even if it means not getting what I want and even if it means pain? Most of us can agree that we love on a conditional basis. We are a culture that hangs onto the "me, me, me" mentality. It's that selfish desire inside of us that wants what we want and chooses what we choose. If love is a choice, why do we choose to love when it is convientant for us? Is it because we fully haven't received the full acceptance of God's unconditional love or is it because the culture says love someone only when they love you back? I believe it is a mixture of both.

Paul speaks in Ephesians 5:2 "And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Now, I am no theology expert, but I do get the sense that there is a commandent that Paul says we are to "walk in Love." It's an action that is to take place in our daily lives. As I read this part of scripture I am convicted that I don't pratice this as often as I think I do (O'Lord break me of my pride). Many times ay work I find myself cutting others down then building them up, getting annoyed by the way they do things or how they live their life. I don't allow the single woman pass me up on the freeway when she needs to get over and I often choose to befriend those who benefit me in a good way. Ouch!

I delight and also convicted by Elizabeth Elliots wisdom behind this, "To give yourself entails accepting disappiontment and laying yourself open to suffering." Wow, what a profound, truthful statement and what better example of this whole act, then Jesus Christ Himself, who humbled himself to the point of death and death on the cross. That is a true act of love, love that passes my little pee brain. And if we are to be intimators of Christ, is this not exactly how we are to be? Christ himself suffered because of his love and we ought to do the same thing, no matter the cost or the price behind it. That we would lay down our pride, arrogance, selfishness and have our hearts open and willing to be open to love in a way that touches peoples lives for the Kingdom.

I am conviced that living a life of submission and sacrafice to the Lord is the only way to live, even if that means showing love to the neighboor next to you, who causes more harm then good. I love that verse, "Love covers a multitude of sins." It covers a MULITUDE, that is huge. Maybe it's calling up a family member who you haven't talked to in a while and thanking them for the good things they did for you in your life (we focus so much on the negativity) or maybe it's apologizing to a person who you have wronged. Whatever the cost of love may be to you or to I, may we never misunderstand that God calls us to love as He has love.

As we continue to seek the Lord, draw close to Him, He will show us those opportunties and chances to truly love and give yourself up, even if that means to suffer. It's in that suffering and pain that we are partaking with Christ, that we are reigning with Him and if that is truly the end result of it all, isn't it worth the risk?