Hey you...yes, you...

...I've got a message for you.

In a week that's all aflutter with the commercialism of 'love,' I've got a sense that there's something you need to hear.

You may have great relationships in your life; you may not.  You may be married, divorced, dating, or single.  You may have 1 wonderful person in your life; you may have 100.

And you may be disappointed.

Has love sold you short?  Left you feeling less than?  Wondering what you've done wrong or why you don't deserve better?

Here's the deal.

I'd venture to guess that our belief about love looks something like this:

Love is patient, love is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,

it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil

but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts,

always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

And when the love we ACTUALLY experience DOESN'T look like that, we wonder.

Maybe I'm with the wrong person?
Maybe I don't belong in this family?
Maybe I'll never find the right friends?
Maybe I've done something wrong?
Maybe...I just don't deserve love?

Truth?
You ARE worthy of that kind of love.
You ARE loved - EXACTLY like that.

Truth?

Nothing that you've done, nothing that you haven't done; nothing that you've said, nothing that you haven't said; nothing that you will or will not do in the future...NOTHING will add to or take away from THAT love.  The love you've already been given.

See, we read the passage about love, and in our flawed humanity, we believe that we will truly know love when we receive THAT love from another human - another flawed human like ourselves.  And if we DON'T receive THAT love from another person who is as imperfect as we are, we feel less than; we feel shortchanged, left out, overlooked, undeserving.

I've been there with you.
I still struggle sometimes - just like you.

But what I was reminded of yesterday morning; what came to my heart and mind on Valentine's Day this year, is that our idea of perfect love is not outlandish or unrealistic - it comes from a VERY real and authentic Source.

And the message that I have for you today - and for me - is that this perfect love can ONLY come from its perfect Source.  AND IT DOES.

While we may never be able to fully insert the name of any wonderful human being into the passage from above (ie. Stacy is patient, Stacy is kind...), because of 1 John chapter 4, among other scriptures, we can instead say

GOD is patient, GOD is kind.

GOD does not envy, He does not boast, He is not proud.

GOD does not dishonor others, He is not self-seeking,

He is not easily angered, He keeps no record of wrongs.

GOD does not delight in evil

but rejoices with the truth.

He always protects, always trusts,

always hopes, always perseveres.

GOD never fails.

God did not give us the LOVE chapter, or anything from His Word, so that we would feel less than.  He didn't give us the Truth of His perfection so that we would start believing we don't measure up.
No, He simply gave.
He has already given His perfect love, and it cannot be altered, undone, or changed in any way.  It can simply be received.

So, rather than continuing to hold each other to the standard of God's perfection, we instead get to RECEIVE God's perfection - His ultimate love for us.  We GET to live in it, hold onto it, and be filled with it.  No strings attached.

I'm praying for you today.  Praying you'll be able to step aside from what you've believed about love and begin to receive the love that's already available.

And it's in the receiving - it's when we begin to LIVE LOVED - that we are then enabled and empowered to begin learning how to love others.

Don't be sold short any longer, my friend.

You. Are. Loved.