Do you remember when you were a child? When the world was so small yet seemed so big? When life revolved around friends, school, and a desire to learn?
Do you remember having a crush? Let me share my experience and how this relates to God’s kind of love…
I was shy and quiet yet somehow always had a ton of friends. Despite my shyness, I wasn’t afraid to compete with the smartest boy in class, because I liked him. I enjoyed comparing quiz results (I got higher scores), punching his arm if he picked on me, and laughing together until that final bell rang. With anticipation, I waited for the next day, a new opportunity to see him again.
Do you remember when love looked like this? You had no expectations because you were seven. You had all the time in the world to find the «right person» so you lived in the present moment.
Do you remember the excitement that came with getting to know your crush? The sense of adventure? Do you remember how pure it was? With no physical expectations because you wouldn’t even dare kiss them, since that was only for adults. Do you remember how easy it was to forgive? They said something hurtful, you got mad for two seconds, forgot and moved on.
And you fell more in love, until the moment you matured and realized they wouldn’t fit into your life forever, or someone better showed up because you still weren’t very mature.
Childhood «love» normally doesn’t result in marriage, but it’s a great representation of the wonder, innocence and even challenges that come with truly loving. It’s not selfish; it’s not about how you can benefit from the other person. It’s about just being together, best friends on an adventure.
THIS kind of love can be restored to our lives. Though we live in a tainted and damaged world, we don’t need to be broken. And I’m not just talking about romantic love, I’m talking about loving others in general. It doesn’t have to be hard, nor does it have to be misinterpreted, nor does everyone have hidden motives like we sometimes expect. Love can be pure…just like the way Jesus loves us.
This kind of love is refreshing, but it only comes from learning to love like God. This then transcends into our relationships with our co-workers, family members, and partner or spouse (for those who are no longer in the season of singlehood, which is a gift that has its purpose while it lasts).
Reflecting on love in its purest form, we can see that the more we know God, the more we love like Him. Colossians 3:10 says, «Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him.» This is the key…simply knowing God. The more we know Him, the more we’ll become like Him. And the more we become like Him, the more we’ll be capable of loving like THIS.
