Love is….?
What does it mean to fall in love? If you were to define love with a single word, what word would that be?
All over the world, February is deemed to be the month of love although, this is not a rule however, for couples, it is a time to renew their marriage vows and for the singles, it could result in finding one’s true love. But being in a relationship isn’t just about calling someone your partner, boyfriend, or girlfriend. Biblically, relationship is about intimacy, giving, partnership, and fellowship – It’s about discovering the need for it. Love goes beyond sexual intimacy, it is the act of making deliberate efforts to open up your heart to someone else, not holding back on expressing how you feel about them, the willingness to spend and be spent, giving your all for the good of your partner. John 3:16 perfectly defined love, “for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son”
Love is about finding a friend in your partner where you can both help each other build, grow, and make the most out of life. Having that one person in your head you want to call when you are upset, and want to “talk with” to feel better or the first person you want to share an amazing news with. Our Co-lead Pastor Seun Uwubanmwen succinctly put it that relationships and marriages are built on forgiveness irrespective of who hurt you. You can check out her message: “If It Were you?” on our Facebook and YouTube pages
Relationships only thrive on positive energy, unconditional love, being in a safe space with someone you love, care about and getting the same in return, having someone to help navigate through the huddles of life and many more. Well, here’s the good news, God is love and love is God. You only have to develop a relationship with Him and He will lead you to the right person (emphasis on ‘right’). Bringing this to church, love also encompasses a show of affection towards other people, letting them know that you care about their wellbeing.
Here is a list of some things to look out for in a partner when searching for “the one” or things to note in marriage (the list is not exhaustive and is based on collective ideas, so stick with what best works for you)
Be together for the right reasons
Communicate to solve conflict (Talk openly about everything, especially the stuff that hurts)
Embrace change
Be practical
Be forgiving
Be open hearted
Spend quality time together
Above all, love God together.