What is Love?

Love is simple. The world tells us that love is complicated. They tell us that love is a feeling. When the feeling moves on, so should you. They tell us a thousand clichés about finding your true love and what to drink when you lose them. Mostly, they tell us that love is all about having expectations and expecting others to meet those expectations whether they are spoken or not. In other words, love is completely conditional.

God is love. God tells us that all of our good works combined are still only good enough to earn us a spot in hell, and yet His grace provides us a way out. He tells us that we have never deserved a single breath we have breathed, and yet He has sent His son to die so that we might breathe freely. He tells us that even if we never even acknowledge His existence, He will still bless us. In other words, His love is completely unconditional.

Jesus is God. He is our example. He lived a life of sacrifice and service to others. He healed the sick and the broken-hearted alike. He spent His time with the imperfect and the lowly. He washed the dirty feet of His disciples when His heart knew they would deny Him. He forgave and restored those He knew were undeserving.

I am not Jesus. How do I live as an emotional creature in this world of conditions with an unconditional love like His? When I feel judged, slighted, or taken advantage of, I have no intention of overlooking the pain that causes. When my kids are misbehaving, the furthest thing from my mind is offering them a chance for more freedom. When my husband sticks his foot in his mouth, the last thing I want to do is bless the man. My initial reactions are those of a selfish, loveless person because these people have not met my expectations.

Enter Grace. Grace is what helps me see that I am just as judgmental, petty, hurtful...as sinful, as the one who did me wrong. Grace is what helps me see their motive and what pain in their life caused them to act or react the way they did. Grace is being able to show compassion and offer forgiveness, whether it is asked for or not. Grace is being able to bless those who will always fall short of my expectations simply because they are valued and loved by God.

Love is unconditional. There are no exceptions.