True Love=True Grit

This is just a thought that has been screwing with my mind and my perspectives lately, so I thought I might as well share it. It's about love. What is love?Well, when you think of love what images or thoughts come to mind? (in a general sense) in many cases the visuals that come to mind are fluffy, soft, pink, red, rosy, etc. Basically whatever we buy into on Valentines Day. Or maybe you think of your favorite romantic movie, (or novel for you older ladies, naughty, naughty). "Oh. Love is the Notebook. He wrote to her for A YEAR! if that is not love, then what is!? Then they kiss in the rain, and..oh.. it is just so romantic!"

Ya. i couldn't agree with you more. It kills me every time.

But what about that makes it love?

Is it the letters? No.
The Kiss? No.
The fact that they are both beautiful? Yes....I mean...NO!

The thing that makes that scene so romantic is that it reveals to the audience the pain that both of them have been suffering. It shows the ramification of devotion is suffering. The process of love, is pain.

I just recently read a book by Francis Chan called, Erasing Hell. In it, he talks about the side of God that many of us try to hide, or cover for. The side of God that is wrathful, vengeful. the side of God that Kills, wipes out nations. The side of God that causes suffering and pain. The side of God that allows people to go to Hell. Many of us pretend this God does not Exist.

We call God love based purely on the side of God that we most like. We see his love in his forgiveness, in his sacrifice, in his grace and mercy. But, we decide we need to cover for him, or hide him when he is doing something, un-loving, (in our eyes).

Well this is failure to understand God, and it is a direct contradiction to our own preaching. When we profess God as Love, we are saying God is Synonymous to Love. That God IS Love. Therefore, God does not exist outside of Love, and Love cannot exist outside of God. The funny thing is that this isn't even our profession of God, so we don't get to choose if this is true or not. This is Gods definition of Himself.

So, Once we admit that God is Love, we have to realize that ALL that he does, is Love. Once we do this we will soon realize just how much we don't understand Love. Love wiped out the nations of Sodom and Gomorra. Love ordered the Israelites to Kill, wipe out nations, women and children. Love let a righteous man lose all he had and become sick with disease, just to test him. Love set the boundaries of damnation.

Its hard to think of Love as flowers, sunshines, and kisses now isn't it.

This is Love. God is Love. God is merciful, forgiving, graceful, caring. God is wrathful, angry, vengeful.

If Love cannot exist outside of God, then our capacity to Love is in God. so, when we finally find someone who we find is worth loving, we will soon discover the side of love that they don't put in valentines day cards. The side of love that is defined by pain and suffering.

When did we decide that love is all sweets and sugar. When did we decide that love was cheesy and soft. Love is probably one of the hardest, most complex and gritty things in this whole world. It is the definition of our Human Race. We are made in the image of Love. We are made to experience Love, and we do. But in our society we have chosen to forget the side of love that is hard, and therefore, many don't know how to love. This is why 51% of first marriages fail.

So, the reason I am writing this post is to SHIFT the perspective of Love. Lets start looking at Love like a gritty word. When you think of love, think of danger, not the bad kind, that denotes evil, but the good kind. Like an adventure with Indiana Jones, where the outcome is a beautiful artifact. Or a battle in Lord of the Rings, lots of death and pain, but they destroyed the Ring! Love is a gritty word. Its not all daisy's and puppies. It's more like Batman and Warfare. The outcome will always be beautiful, if you are willing to fight for it. Love is justice, Love is beauty, Love is pain, Love is grace. True love requires True Grit, just think like John Wayne.