Lydia had just graduated from college and was trying to figure out her life when she met an “Adonis” who seemed too good to be true and swept her off her feet. She was in love in no time. Despite his persistent pressure to be intimate, it didn’t take long for her to agree to start a relationship with him. He was everything she wanted in a man, which made her overlook the red flags. Little did she know, a time would come when she would detest hearing a name similar to his. In the end, he became her worst enemy, so she refused to give love another chance.
As Lydia shared her story with me, she hadn’t forgiven herself for jumping into a relationship she now knew was a mistake. She told me she couldn’t control the thoughts of wasted time and the pain that accompanied it. She wailed bitterly, unable to pull herself together, shaking with sweat and tears until her makeup was washed away, her beauty lost in the wind of regret.
“Lydia, have you let go?” I asked her repeatedly, seven times. She said “Yes” several times, despite being uncertain in two answers. She retorted, “He was so controlling. He told me who to talk to, where to go, and what to wear. He beat me each time we argued, and I always made excuses for him in my head because I was convinced this wasn’t the person I met three years ago. It wasn’t until the day he beat me so badly that I woke up in a hospital bed, unable to move my legs, that I knew it was time to wake up from my stupidity. I am stronger now but I don’t think I’ll ever forget. I need Jesus to help me through this healing process. I shut my mind off from everything that requires my effort to love. Will I find true love?” she asked.
Are you like Lydia? Have you developed psychological barriers towards others due to past experiences of being treated badly? Do you feel like you give so much and get nothing in return? Are you harboring hurt and resentment towards people?
Understanding love is crucial. Recognizing who defines love and how relevant itday relationship is in our everys is is. Whose definition of love truly matters, and have we embraced it?
If you believe in the existence of Jehovah, then you should explore His perspective on love. Why should it be God’s definition and not our feelings?
It’s simple—no one can explain a product better than its manufacturer. Christianity is more than just believing in God as a concept; it’s about relating to His personality and truly knowing who He is. You might be wondering what God’s idea of love is.
He says, “Continually pour from yourself to one another because God is love. Everyone who loves is fathered by God and experiences an intimate knowledge of Him. The one who doesn’t love has yet to know God, for God is love. The light of God’s love shines within us when He sent His matchless Son into the world so that we might live through Him. This is love: He loved us long before we loved Him. It was His love, not ours. He proved it by sending His Son to be the pleasing sacrificial offering to take away our sins” (1 John 4:7-21, TPT).
Here are a few key points:
- God is love; His personality embodies love, even in judgment.
- To love like Him, you must have an intimate knowledge of Him.
- He loved us before we loved Him; we should strive to love like Him.
- Give and expect nothing in return because you have an abundance to give.
- Discover how God loves through Bible stories and emulate it, because you can.
- If you love like Him, no one will hurt you so deeply that you can’t let go.
- You haven’t found love yet because you haven’t looked within. Love resides inside you if God lives within you. When you do, you will be able to truly love others and forgive their wrongs.
By understanding and embracing God’s definition of love, you can overcome past hurts and learn to love others unconditionally.
Tamera Glenn writes about topics that deal with life.
