Love is small word with such a big meaning. Love is powerful. When experienced correctly, it is simply amazing. Love shown by words, actions and deeds are vital in relationships. Merriam-Webster defines it in 12 different definitions (8 as a noun and 4 as a verb), however, the subjective nature of love often makes it tough to capture the true significance. How I describe love may be a far cry from how someone else describes it or shows it.
I believe love starts even before birth through attachment in the womb. We come into the world knowing some semblance of what it means to be close to someone. From infancy, our parents are privileged with the responsibility of loving us. They teach us how to love though implicit and explicit actions. What we observe in our families model our behaviors towards love as we become adults.
Our interpretation of love is then further shaped by culture and societal influence. We learn to love based on movies, friends and the circumstances of others. How we come to care for others, demonstrate intimacy, and form attachments is largely based on our understanding of what feels right. The results can be favorable or not, but it is up to us to decide how we exhibit our emotions.
Likewise, the attraction to and love for things is often reflective of what’s deemed important in the moment. Money, cars, hobbies etc. are things which we can become fond of. Many times these take the place of human affection resulting the strain of connection with your partner.
As we continue to explore the topic of love; it is important that you love yourself before you attempt to love others. When you accept and love yourself you will not search for love and approval in anyone else. The Bible says we should love our neighbor as ourselves, therefore loving someone else is difficult unless we love ourselves first.
I invite you to reflect on what love means to you. Think about the narrative of your love. How do you love others? How do you love yourself? What does God say about love? Until such questions can be answered with honesty, we will forever struggle to accept the love we are worthy of and demonstrate the true love we wish to give.