The Choice to Love

There’s a certain glow a girl gets when she’s in love.  Have you noticed?  I suppose guys get it too, in their own way, but I’m talking about that radiant face, the beaming smile, and the overall aura of “I’m secure, I’m special, I’m loved, and can’t you tell?”  She walks a little straighter, smiles a little more, and you get a glimpse of the dignified “princess” side of a girl’s soul.  Whether I’ve ever visibly exhibited that aura or not, I think I know what it feels like.  I’ve been there – and it’s nice :)

But I’ve also been there when it’s not nice.  When “everyone” else is in love and you’re wondering when your ship will come in.  Or worse yet, when your love has ended, or you’ve been hurt, and you’re left to wonder, “Was it worth it?”

I’d like to propose to you that love is always worth it.  In fact, it’s the only thing that’s worth it.  Crazy, you say?  I don’t think so.  You see we were created to love.  It’s in our very DNA.  In Genesis 1:26 it says, “Then God said, let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness….”  In essence, the godhead - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - the “Us” of Genesis 1:26 - had so much love between them that they wanted to create.  Just like parents producing a child out of their love for each other, God’s love overflowed to make you – a being created to share the very love He was enjoying in the trinity! That’s your purpose.  We were made to be creatures of the same image (vs. 27) – the image of love.

But obviously some things have changed since God created.  We live in a very broken and battered world now.  We live in a world where even “good” people – people trying to follow God - make selfish choices.  Our natural bent has turned from others to self.  And as such, love carries quite the risk.  Letting me into your life means I will probably hurt you at some point, disappoint you, and maybe even leave you.  And guess what?  You may do the same to me.

So how is it worth it?  In fact, I even remember when I asked this question about loving God.  I grew up hearing that God was “love” and that He was the only one who’d never disappoint me.  Yet I had questions.  I had disappointments.  I had bitterness.  Was it worth it?  I’ll never forget how I cried when I first saw the movie “Fireproof.”  While I haven’t been married, the failing marriage in that film was exactly how I felt about my relationship with God.  Yet slowly I saw God doing more than the Fireproof “love dare” to win my heart.  On a hot July day a few years ago I finally could write: “I’ve had such a hard and frustrating time comprehending and actually believing the whole concept of God, eternity, and His love.  I could not manufacture faith and was angry at God for not helping with this!  Yet last night, it was real.  As I gave God a chance, as I decided to follow Him, what I read became real – it made sense!  Today I feel like a baby Christian.”

I don’t mean to oversimplify all that God did in the “process” of winning my heart. But at the core, it was when I finally chose to give love a chance, when I let down my guard of questions and hurt, that I found love – or rather it found me.  All I did was make one small choice - the choice to love.  And now I don’t wonder whether it was worth it or not.  I can honestly say that even on the bad days, my life today is so much happier than it was a few years ago – even one year ago for that matter.  It’s almost like finally waking up to the person I was created to be.  It’s this life-long Christian starting to grasp, just a little, the meaning of the gospel - God’s power to restore completely.  To restore us to love.

And I’ve found something interesting, as I finally start understanding God’s love, I finally start being able to love other people.  Other people who may or may not love back.  People who don’t meet my expectations.  People who may hurt me.  People who mean risk…  No, it doesn’t mean it’s always easy and I always make the right choice.  There are still those, “See, I knew it was too good to be true” moments.  Or the “that’s what I get for trusting people” moments.  It’s the moments that tempt me to go back in my “safe” shell and protect myself from “that ever happening again.” But in those moments, I have a choice – will I choose to love again anyways?  Or will I choose to listen to the fear, the selfishness really, and remain “safe” yet alone, never knowing all that God intended for me – and for you?

Today, by God’s grace, I’m choosing to say, “No, I choose to love.”  Why can’t I walk around with the glow of the girl who’s radiant and dignified because she’s loved and in love?  I may not always have a giant case of the twitter pated love butterflies, but I am loved.  You are loved.  We become who we were created to be as we learn to accept and give love.  And maybe if you choose to love too, we can have a messy, broken, yet restoratively powerful friendship.  I choose to love.