Love has become a very overused word in our vocabulary. One minute we say “I love my husband” and then in the next we say, “I love pizza.” Wow, our feelings for our husband and pizza are described using the same word. How messed up is that? For the past year or so I have tried very hard to only use the word love when referring to REAL love. You know the love for my God, my family, and my friends.
This limiting the use of the word started when a lady I know was talking about the word Awesome being so over used. I had to agree with her that everyone does overuse that word. It got me thinking about other overused words and the word love immediately came to mind.. Why would we attach such an emotional word to objects that are incapable of returning our love? Maybe this is one reason our world is so messed up. We have so overused the word that we have diminished the true meaning of the word. We have changed its meaning to the point that we no longer truly know how to demonstrate or verbalize love to others.
I know this… God loves me and he loves me more than pizza. Now didn’t that sound silly. When you put it into a religious context it sounds extremely silly to use the word love so recklessly. God’s love for us is a great love. God loves us, all of us. No matter who we are, or where we have been he loves us. God loves all of us and that love is precious and should be protected and thought of in high regard.
- Do you love pizza when it is stale? NO… but God loves you no matter how stale you become in you walk with him.
- Do you love pizza as much when it is cold as you do when it is hot? probably not, but God loves you the same no matter if you are hot or cold.
- Do you love pizza the same when you are disappointed with the quality of the crust or toppings? Probably not, but God loves you the same no matter your circumstance in life.
- Do you love Papa Johns, Pizza Hut, and Domino’s all the same? Probably not, but God loves us all the same.
Unlike our “love” for pizza Gods love for us cannot be diminished or become less. Gods love for us is everlasting and unchanging. I am so glad that God’ love for me is not as easily dismissed as last nights left over pizza.
I have stopped using the word love to describe how I feel about things. I only use the word love to describe how I feel about God and people. It has been life changing. Now when I use the word love it brings to mind so much happiness and joy that I can not even begin to describe how it feels. It brings to mind God’s example of how we should love and be loved.
Try it, try not over using the word love. See if it changes how you think and how you feel.