Friday, March 28, 2008

Is it Love?

A friend of mine wrote, "Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired." A fun thought. And I know where she's coming from -- I understand that feeling. We want to be in love with someone who's in love with us; their openness and vulnerability makes them even more attractive and precious in our eyes. But I think that "irresistible desire" actually represents not love, but passion.

Have you wanted to check your own heart to know whether you really love someone else, or know whether they actually love you? I know I have, especially over the past couple of years.

Here is my conclusion. :)

If one person, of their own initiative, both cares about someone and cares for that person, then they actually do love them. There has to be both concern and action. Without both, there is no love. There may be concern, or there may be action, but neither alone is love.

I'm reminded of Jesus' brother James who wrote that faith without works is dead. "Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works." (Emphasis mine) Ultimately, in both cases, love and faith, the heart feeling is what matters, but the heart is deceitful above all things. How can you believe it if it's not strong enough to motivate action?

I hope that answers all your questions. :)