True Love

Love has been a hot topic this week, with the celebration of Valentine's Day and the accompanying onslaught of advertisements for rose bouquets, 2-for-1 dinners, and diamond rings on sale. I have to admit that it's been a somewhat challenging week for me, as this is the first Valentine's Day since my boyfriend and I broke up. I was sort of dreading this week, and asked several close friends to pray for me that my spirits would be lifted and that I would not indulge in a pity party for myself.

I was blessed with plenty of time alone in the car on Wednesday to pray, and instead of feeling sorry for myself, I found myself overwhelmed with love and thankfulness for having dated and been loved by such a wonderful man. I won't bore you with a long list of reasons why I love him, but one of the many things that I am so grateful for was how much he has taught me about love and sacrifice. I've come to a new appreciation of the sacrifices he made for me while we were dating, and I've realized how closely love and sacrifice go hand in hand.

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:9-13)

Jesus didn't say, "Greater love has no one than this, that he buy his friends flowers and treats them to expensive dinners." Don't get me wrong, I'm as sentimental as the next girl, and I am thrilled to receive flowers and have sweet nothings whispered in my ear. But those romantic gestures do not define love to me. Love, by God's definition, is at its very core sacrificial.

I used to think that, in these verses, Jesus was only referring to physically sacrificing one's life in order to show love, but now I think it means much more than that. Jesus did give the ultimate sacrifice of His own life for us, but most of us won't be called to step in front of a speeding bus or flying bullet to give our lives for another. However, we are all called to sacrifice ourselves in thousands of smaller ways.

What means more to me than romantic gestures is the willingness to sacrifice time, energy, and personal desire. It can be making time in the midst of a busy schedule to spend time with someone. It can be sacrificing pride by letting our guard down and letting someone else into our innermost thoughts, even at the risk of rejection or embarrassment.

While this week the world has focused on romance, I've been thankful to be reminded of how deeply true love has been demonstrated to me through this relationship that has ended, through my friends and family, and most of all, through God Himself. Candy hearts and flowers may be symbols of love, but they are not its definition.