Love

Love.

It's a concept that He's been bringing to my mind a lot recently in terms of both relationships and lifestyle.

I'm one of these people who focuses on what I can accomplish, on a checklist of ideals to finish off for a day, who gets together with people so I feel as if I've contributed enough to that relationship for awhile, so now I can slack.

But He isn't like that.

Love is not something that can be contained. Love does not slack. Love never ends.

The first time I was struck by this was during the Alumni soccer weekend, when I took some time to be alone in my dorm room and do my devos.

My own theme verse that I had chosen for myself this year in regard to soccer was Galatians 2:20:

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (ESV)

And I examined that verse, and here were was my train of thought:

-What does that look like? I am to be merely a human skin encompassing a heart, soul and mind completely devoted to God. I am His earthly reflection and I'm not doing so hot. 

-But what am I to reflect? How can I change my actions?

This lead me to think of 1 John 4:16: "God is love."

-I can focus on so many things but what is underneath is an attitude of love (which in its pure Godly form is unselfish, etc.)

Which lead me to 1 Cor. 13:

-The obvious love chapter - but I see it with a different view when I read it regarding how I'm supposed to treat others. It's not able to be faked, it's an attitude - a heart thing.

-"If I could..." 
       -"be amazing at soccer and score a ton of goals, wowing the audience and impressing my coach" but have not love - I am nothing.
       -my skills at sports really have nothing at all to do with anything, it's all about my attitude and how I treat others, God and myself

-"Love is..."
        -I fail so miserably at all of these (but that's the point isn't it?)
        -I am so often self-seeking and wanting to make myself look good, but my purpose on Earth is to make God look good (and sometimes that's done best by my failing)
      
And this love? It cannot be checklisted. It cannot be faked. It cannot be done comfortably.

"To love at all is to be vulnerable." (C.S. Lewis - The Four Loves)

I cannot love without opening myself up for hurt, heartache and pain.

But then I look at what He did.

"but God shows His great love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8, ESV)

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:3, ESV)

And I am called to do the same. To live with a selfless love that always puts others first.

Because He first loved me.