God explains 'the greatest of these is love'
A box of chocolates with warm sentiments, diamonds that sparkle and ruby red roses are symbols used in our culture to acknowledge our love for others. Love is an essential element of life. The desire to love and be loved is at the core of our inner being. However, in our fast-paced world, oftentimes we overlook expressing our love for others or we don't understand how to express it.
With so many self-centered attitudes filtering through our culture, we can often think love is all about getting something, but learning appropriately how to give love can attract love to us.
When we love, we should accept people for who they are, not just the things they do for us. Love is not to be used as a bartering tool: I'll love you "only" if you do something for me.
Past negative experiences with loved ones can make us shrink back in fear when it comes to expressing how we feel, or can leave us bitter of heart and soul and make us lose the desire to show any expression of love again.
When we lose our desire to love, we are shortchanging ourselves more than others. Love is about giving unconditionally, not just receiving.
It can include taking a risk because we are not sure how expressing love will be received. But if we don't give an expression to someone else, we may miss out on the joy of loving.
Love is expressed in many ways - not just giving gifts. A compliment shows we care. A compassionate word extended to a grieving friend or a handwritten note shows we have taken time to express our love. A bright smile to a stranger can break the ice. A tender word spoken in the heat of an argument can melt a cold heart.
God explains "the greatest of these is love."
There is no greater thing we can achieve in life than expressing love to others. Even when they don't receive it, we can feel good about our loving actions. As we celebrate this season of love, let's extend ourselves and put love into action.
• Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, Bible teacher, life coach and nurse. Reserve your place at her conference, "Writing for Fun and Profit," on Feb. 10 in Libertyville. Contact her at annetteebudzban@aol.com or (847) 543-8413.