I Love You

What if those words no longer existed? 

It’s so easy to say or write the words “I love you”. But if the phrase no longer existed, how would others know?  Do your interactions with the people you value most express love, or do they reflect a different message?

Valentine’s Day has always been, for me, such a cliché. It’s the one day of the year that most people go above and beyond to shower someone they love with attention, affection, affirmations, and material possessions, aka: flowers that will eventually die, candy that jacks up your sugar levels because you’re not going to not eat it…ALL…in one sitting (ok that might just me?), cards that someone else wrote, overpriced meals in overcrowded restaurants…blah blah blah…you get my point, right?! I feel like so many people over compensate on this one day of the year in effort to make up for the 364 that they neglect due to the day to day demands of life.

Now I’m not trying to stomp on anyone’s love language, there’s really nothing wrong with any of that if that’s how you express love, buuuuut why does it have to be reserved for just one day of the year (other than the obvious financial reasons), and 2nd, why does it have to be centered around materialism (not saying everyone’s is, just offering a stereotypical opinion).

“Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” 1 John 3:18 NLT

For me, love is not only a verb, it’s noun, and even more specifically, “Love” is a proper noun.  The Word tells us that “Whoever does not love does not know God, because GOD IS LOVE.” (1 John 4:8). So if God IS Love, then what if we took another common verse, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7  and replaced a few words, it would read like this:

God is patient, God is kind. God does not envy, God does not boast, God is not proud. God is not rude, God is not self-seeking, God is not easily angered, God keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. God always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

So, there we have it folks.  If the words “I love you” no longer existed, THIS is how you demonstrate the act of love on a regular basis!!

And since we are called to be a reflection of Jesus (God), what if we reflected that image in this way:

(Insert your name) is patient, (Insert your name) is kind. (Insert your name) does not envy, (Insert your name) does not boast, (Insert your name) is not proud. (Insert your name) is not rude, (Insert your name) is not self-seeking, (Insert your name) is not easily angered, (Insert your name) keeps no record of wrongs. (Insert your name) does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. (Insert your name) always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

WOW!!  How could the relationships in our lives be transformed if we put our hearts and minds to walking in that TRUTH every day?  What if our love languages became a reflection of the kind of love that Jesus demonstrated? 

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:12

How about if today, and every day, we make every attempt to reflect the love we feel towards others by a physical demonstration of God’s definition of “LOVE”!!! 

I encourage you to read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 for yourself…I think I’m going to stick it (or maybe even tattoo it Lol) somewhere I can be reminded daily!!

Stay authentic my friends,

Crystal 

P.s….Props to my incredibly amazing husband who goes above and beyond to demonstrate a love for me like I’ve never experienced and never knew could exist…and he does this on the DAILY!!! We’ve experienced SO much in just a short 5 year span and I am so thankful for this continued journey of growing, loving, and learning to love better…..together!! =)