The Opposite of Love is Self-Love

 

   

     As a society today, we hear over and over again the importance of "self-love." One source defines self love as: A regard for one's own well-being and happiness. Regard means to have attention of concerned for something. That means that self love is having attention for yourself and your own happiness. Now I do think that it is important to view ourselves as masterpieces of our Lord. Our creator crafted us with His perfect and tender hands and therefore we are beautiful creations in Him. BUT recognizing who you are in Christ and focusing on loving yourself and caring for your own happiness, are two totally different things.
     The Biblical definition of love is: Giving of yourself willingly and sacrificially for the benefit of others WITHOUT any thought of return.
When we give of ourselves to others, that doesn't leave us with much time to focus on our own well being.    
     Here are a few of the MANY Bible verses that talk about love.

• John 13:34-35 - A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  
• John 15:13 - Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
• Luke 6:35 - But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and [to] the evil.
• 1 John 4:7-8 - Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

These are just a few of the vast amount of verses on love that are in God's word. These two things are important to remember about love.

God is love.

     If God is not in it, it is not true love. We don't love because of a flittery emotion, love is never led by emotion. The world's definition of love is: an intense feeling of deep affection. Affection means a gentle feeling of fondness or liking. Jeremiah makes it VERY clear that our hearts are evil and desperately wicked. We aren't to be led by our "feelings." True love, as I mentioned before, is sacrificially giving of yourself WILLINGLY. If you are doing it because you want something in return or you want people to notice you, then it's not real love. If you're loving because you have to, then it's not real. It's important that we follow what GOD says is love, not the world.

The Greatest Example of Love is Jesus Christ.

     A lot of people accredit movies like The Notebook or P.S. I Love You for showing us a "beautiful" definition of love. I'm sorry, but neither of those represent it in a very good way. We have the greatest example of love known to all man kind. Jesus Christ and what He did for us on the cross shows us love unmatchless, love we can't comprehend. Love took 39 lashes of whips filled with glass and metals that tore His skin apart, Love endured a beard being pulled out of His face and a crown of thorns gouged into His head. LOVE had thick nails pounded into His hands and feet, and Love hung as perfection between two thieves. THAT is our standard of true love. 

   

     Do we ever see Jesus emphasising the importance of loving Himself or caring about His own happiness? Do we see Jesus take constant time to care about His well-being? No. Do I think some "me" time is needed every once in awhile? Absolutely. Jesus had His alone time with the Father. We need some quiet time to ourselves, it's important. But this "self-love" fad is doing nothing but destroying everything that love truly is. Remember this: True love is when a man wipes your tears, even after we left Him hanging on a cross for our sins. Are you willing to love like Jesus loves?

Stay excellent!