What Kind Of Lover Are You?

    Face it. People love to be in love. There are love songs that tug at heart strings we play over and over. Etta Jame's cover of the song "At Last' is played as a first dance song at weddings. Her soulful crooning about love sends shivers up the spine. "All Of Me" by John legend takes your breath away as he voices words of deep love in verses of song.The classic Al Green song "Let's Stay Together" is filled with the desparation of a man in love unwilling to give up on love. Sinead O'Conner blew our minds with "Nothing Compares 2 U" finding the love of a lifetime. Dolly Parton may have been the first to write and sing "I Will Always Love You" But Whitney Houston took it to a whole 'nother' level of undying love. Rhianna's "Diamond In the Sky" really strikes a chord with me.

    The list of love songs go on and on about love lost, love found, enduring love, yearning for love, and the need to be loved. Humans love love. We desire love. But I ask the question, what kind of LOVER are you? I came across a beautiful poem which delves into a DIFFERENT type of love. A love many of us never thinks about. Indulge me for a moment please as I go into the world of religious LOVE

MY FRIEND

I stand in Judgement now,
And feel that you are to blame somehow.
On earth I walked with you day by day,
And never did YOU point the way.
YOU knew the Lord in truth and glory,
But never did you tell ME the story.
My knowledge then was very SLIM,
YOU could have led me safe to Him.
Though we lived together on earth,
YOU never told me of the SECOND birth.
And now I stand this day condemned,
Because YOU failed to mention HIM.
YOU taught me many things, that's true,
I called YOU "friend" and trusted you.
But learn now that it's too late,
YOU could have kept me from this fate.
We walked by day and talked by night,
And yet YOU showed me not the Light.
YOU let me live, and love, and die,
YOU knew I'd never live on high.
Yes, I called you a "friend" in life,
And trusted YOU through joy and strife.
And yet on coming to the end,
I cannot, NOW, call YOU, "My Friend."

WHAT KIND OF LOVE IS THIS AND HOW IS THIS LOVE DEFINED?

LOVE= unselfish, benevolent, concern for others (1Corinthians 13:4-7 charity). To love God supremely and others unselfishly are the 2 most important commands of Jesus (Matthew 22:37-40). Christ's death was the supreme expression of love (John 13:1 and 15:13).

AGAPE= A Greek word for selfless love, the type of love which characterizes God. If we are made in his own image, we should have his characteristics. Agape is primarily an ACT OF THE WILL rather than the EMOTIONS (John 3:16 and Romans 5:8). Agape love is the GREATEST and most enduring of ALL CHRISTIAN VIRTUES (1 Corinthians 13). Agape love for others is a badge of discipleship (John 13:34-35).

    Notice God says there are outward signs of His people. Is love an outward sign of love or a type of badge? Does it speak to the world? Are we not His disciples, His children? Police wear badges. They have to show their badge so you will know they are who they say they are. They are given the authority to use their job description. Are you flashing your badge of authority, your job description of love?

    Now that we have the definition of love, we now have the knowledge of love. What we are lacking at this point is the WISDOM of love. Wisdom is when you take the KNOWLEDGE you have and use it. So now we come to the question: "What kind of lover are you?" We should love God, ourselves, and others as we love ourselves. There is no command to leave anyone out. FORGIVENESS helps us to accomplish loving others as we love ourselves.

1. ARE YOU A STINGY LOVER? Do you designate how much you are willing to love someone? How long you are willing to love someone? Do you give yourself wholly to the love experience or are you half into it making the person work for your love? Do you pick who is or is not worthy of your love?

2. ARE YOU A PRIDEFUL LOVER? Do you pat yourself on your own back, praising yourself for how wonderful you are at showing love to others? Do you bother to check and see with the recipient of your love if they are being loved in the way they need to be loved? Your definition of love can be totally different from someone elses.

3. ARE YOU AN ABUSIVE LOVER? Are you loving someone grudgingly? Are you giving love only when someone else is looking? Do you with-hold love to get people to behave the way you want them to? Do you neglect yourself or people closest to you, but have an abundance of love for a stranger? Do you hold grudges? Does someone have to ask or beg you for your love?

4. ARE YOU A WISHY-WASHY LOVER? Are people afraid to approach you because the don't know what they may run into day by day or hour by hour? Are some days easier for you to show love and other days difficult? God wants consistency, not double mindedness.

    The type of lover you are does not have to be dependent on whetehr you are a Christian or not.

WE SAY WE HAVE THE LOVE OF GOD IN US BUT.....

    We have children we don't minister to or make disciples of Christ equipping them to lead others by sharing the gospel. We do not lay hands on them and pray for them. We leave prayer for our children to the school and then become angry when the institution fails to pray. We try to give our children everything their hearts desire except the gift of eternal life with God. Remember, whether you are religious or not, the philosophy of love you instill in your children matter.

    We love our sisters, brother, parents, and yet we don't invite them to church with us or live Godly examples of joy and peace so that they can see God through us. We tell them what we don't and can't do because we are Christians, not exampling Jesus among those who needed him most. As Christians, it is about what we are WILLING to do to show the love of Christ. Christian or not, the way you treat family members matter. 

We love OURSELVES, yet do not do what is in our own best interest: pray, love, spread the gospel, have faith through deeds, read the word of God, study the word of God because it is life and light, and be obedient to His will. Nowadays, people have to reminded to love themselves. Some of the biggest wounds people have to recover from, are making bad decisions which hurt themselves. 

We say we love God. To love God is to be obedient and to be holy as He is holy. To love yourself is to do what is good for yourself and humankind.

    We need to pray and ask God to bring us to this level of agape love. It may not happen over night, but a willing heart accomplishes much through the grace of God. Romans 13:8 "OWE no man anything, but to love one another; for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law." If you do not pray, come to some knowledge that love, beyound love relationships, are important. 

WHAT KIND OF LOVER ARE YOU?

Don't forget to buy my book, When Will Eve Be Forgiven? Which is all about loving yourself as a woman. PLEASE like, share, comment, and follow my blog. I need you.