Christian Counseling - Love: The Road To Life

Have you ever been tempted to give up on love? Most of us have, especially when we are devastated by unrequited love. It happens we find it difficult to trust others and believe we need to protect ourselves from the pain of loss. It happens when we play it safe. We may temped to move on from it when we experience diminishing romantic feelings. This occurs after 17 months of a relationship when oxytocin (the love hormone) ceases to produced by our bodies.

It can also happen when we forget how awesomely important love is to human and spiritual life. Forgetting is more likely to happen to men because we are cursed with the obsessive worry and pursuit of work and providing for the family. It is less likely to happen to women because they are cursed with a very deep and painful longing for relationship (Genesis 3:16-19).

Sometimes we need to go back to the basics, like the former, famous coach of the Green Bay Packers, Vince Lombardi, would say to his players after a loss, "This is a football." You can't play the game without it. So too, you can't be a Christian without love. This is love (agape-behaviors based upon decisions, not feelings), and its extreme importance (quoted from my article - "Stages of Spiritual Development" that can be found on our website at cccrd.org):

The fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10).
The goal of our instruction (I Timothy 1:5).
The source of life (I John 4:7).
The perfect bond of unity (Colossians 3:14).
The calling card of evangelism (John 13:35).
The essential characteristic of maturity (I Corinthians 13:13).
The new (John 13:34) and greatest commandment (Matthew 22:36,37).
The proof that we are, and hallmark of being, a Christian (I John 4:7-12).
Synonymous with God ( I John 4:16).
The evidence of our love is obedience to Christ (John 14:15).
It covers all transgressions (Proverbs 10:12).
It is incapable of doing wrong (Romans 13:10).
The most powerful force in forgiveness and reconciliation (II Corinthians 5:18,19).
It is the only thing we should owe to others (Romans 13:8).
God's lovingkindness is everlasting (Isaiah 54:8).

Don't give in to the temptation to give up on love. Life without love is like life without God. Instead, seek to understand Ephesians 3:17-19: "...that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God." Lastly, seek to consistently express love and freely give it away.