LOVE

Here’s a fun review for a lesson on “adjectives.”

Page is from ihavenogreaterjoy’s valentine post.

LOVE.

I had a revelation a few days ago about the word love.

My daughter admired our newly scrubbed bathtub and exclaimed, “I looove our bathtub! It’s so white and shiny and I love it! Love it! Looove it!” Somehow, that just did not feel right.

I told her she probably meant that she “liked” our shiny bathtub, well, she liked it a lot, that’s for sure, but “love” is too strong a word.

We all know “God is love” (1 John 4:8) and it dawned on me that it would be a good idea to also think more carefully how we use this word, so as not to “diminish” its significance.

Like, I can say I “love” my mom, but do I really “love” her shoes? Or I can understand how one can “love” her school, but maybe she doesn’t really “love” chocolates (or maybe, she does?”)?

Does using the word “love” so casually make it somehow not seem so precious and pure? Does using love for common things like food or fashion make it less pure and holy?

God is love. Love is of God. It is not just any other word. The whole bible is about God’s amazing love. The greatest commandment is to love. The whole Christian faith rests on God’s love.

God is love. So when we are commanded not to use the name of God in vain, would you consider being careful not to use the name “Love” for trivial and sometimes senseless things as well?

There are other words to describe a desire, admiration or affection for something, and it seems appropriate to think more carefully about how we use this word that is ascribed to the Creator Himself. That was what came to my mind during my “Aha!” moment.

What are your thoughts on this?