Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4:8
As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
There are many aspects of love that go beyond just the romantic love we see on TV and in the movies. One of my favorite books that explains the different aspects of love is CS Lewis’s The Four Loves. This little book looks into storge (love between family), philia (love between friends), eros (romantic love), and agape (selfless love).
One of my favorite quotes from the book is this:
“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”
Opening yourself up to any kind of love is always a risk. We are often told to guard our hearts, but that doesn’t mean that we have to build impenetrable walls around them. Sometimes we can enter into a relationship and it doesn’t work out, even if everything seemed right at the start. We may never know where things went wrong with a broken friendship or a failed relationship. The best thing we can do is learn from those past mistakes and move forward.
Don’t be afraid to make new friends or enter into a new relationship just because of what happened in the past. Remain in God’s love and ask Him to bless the friendships and relationships that you have. This can also apply to your family. Whether you have a good relationship with your family or you have your share of family issues, ask God to enter into your family life and heal what has been broken. You might have to let go of the anger and the grudges you’ve held against them and it won’t be easy.
Nevertheless, walk with God through this process.
TO Jesus through Mary-Monique
Image by Alyssa Marie Francis
