Love

 

Marvin gay, Westlife, Boys to Men, Mariah Carey, Whitney Huston, Phil Collins, Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, New kids on the block  this is the list of some of the musicians that sung about love back in the day. Trey Songs, Neyo, Avant, Kelly Rowland, Justin Beiber (the new day musicians). I could go on and on, I was arguing with a friend how the musicians in the 80's sung more about love than the musicians in our generation who seem to sing more about lust. They seemed to make things more romantic and genuine compared to what the likes of Neyo who would sing of "sexy love".
The argument went on and on and I won, I felt I knew the definition of love. As long as the lyrics would describe a man pursuing a woman to be his for the long term and not how the new age lyrics would talk of one night stands and making love in the club.
Oh boy! I was far from the truth, my definition of love was being shaped by what the musicians would sing. When you look at the lives of these people I thought of as "love gurus" they never practiced what they were singing. They had strings of ex wives and husbands, scandals surrounding them. So how am I supposed to go by what they sang, how was I going to base my love life on these people.
Maybe for you it is not the music shaping your definition of love  maybe its the Mexican soap operas, the romantic films, romance novels. Whatever it is, I realized the argument I won meant nothing because I was far away from the truth, I was like a blind person leading the blind to my friend. Because the world's definition of love is selfish, it is for us to find someone to please us and make us feel good BUT...

1 Corinthians 13:1-3  If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. (NIV)

1 Corinthians 13:4–8a  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. Love never fails ... (NIV)

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.

Now I look for my definition of love from the author of Love; God. From His word I learn what it means to experience true love as He died on the cross for my sins He gave His life for me. I am now re-learning how to love those around me with sincere love, how to not just categorize love in the context of romantic relationships but to spread it to the people around me.
Whats shaping your definition of love? Maybe it is what that gets you in the wrong relationships, Maybe you think that love does not exist, maybe now you have hardened your heart because of past hurts of people that claimed to love you.
I wish I could shout this from the roof tops. GO BACK TO THE AUTHOR OF LOVE LET HIM SHOW YOU TRUE LOVE LAY AT HIS FEET AND LET HIM TEACH YOU THE TRUE DEFINITION OF LOVE.