UNIVERSAL GOD: Message of Peace
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Promoting peace and harmony from an Abrahamic perspective
Seeking Love
What is Love?
Love is a powerful emotion characterised by deep affection. It can also be described as a strong interest or enjoyment in something. But how does 'love' differ from being 'in love'? Being 'in love' with someone or something often involves a 'need' for that person or thing for personal gain. In contrast, to 'love' someone or something is more 'selfless' and does not involve 'control.' It is a desire to act in ways that benefit others, prioritizing the happiness and well-being of the loved person or thing, even if it means going against one's own interests.
Why is Love important?
Love is often considered the driving force of life, where we feel warmth in our hearts and souls at the happiness or well-being of someone else. Many would agree that it is the most important thing..
Love is important because it is a fundamental human emotion that brings people together and creates strong bonds. It can inspire us to be kind, compassionate, and understanding towards others, and it can also bring us great joy and happiness. Love a powerful force that can help us navigate life's challenges and meaning and purpose in relationships.
How does being ‘In Love’ affect us?
Being in love can profoundly influence our lives, offering immense joy, happiness, and a strong sense of connection. However, it's crucial to recognise that the intense emotions tied to being 'in love' can be both extremely rewarding and deeply painful. It's akin to an emotional rollercoaster, with thrilling highs and crushing lows. These experiences can teach us a lot about ourselves but may also impact our well-being and relationships with others.
Whether it's love for a person, a passion, or something else, it's natural to consider its effect on our lives and those around us. If it brings positivity and enriches our existence, it is truly beautiful. Conversely, if it causes harm and distress, it's important to reflect on how to free ourselves from its influence.
Choosing to prioritise love for ourselves and others over the intense emotions of being 'in love' is a brave and necessary decision. It's a journey of self-discovery and self-care, and it's perfectly okay to take that initial step towards liberation from its hold.
How Can Love Help Us?
Directly:
Experiencing love is profoundly powerful, akin to a warm embrace that makes us feel secure and valued. Knowing someone genuinely cares for us fills our hearts with joy and hope, reminding us we are not alone and are part of something greater. This sense of belonging brings peace and contentment, allowing us to forgive ourselves for mistakes, especially when we trust in love's enduring nature.
Conditional love can motivate self-improvement, helping us learn from our mistakes and avoid repeating them out of fear of losing affection. Without love, we may feel lost and burdened by guilt, which can erode confidence and self-esteem. Conversely, being loved enhances our self-assurance, empowering us to embrace our true selves and pursue our dreams with confidence. Ultimately, love significantly boosts our chances of success in all endeavors.
Indirectly:
As we learn to love and value ourselves, our capacity to care for others deepens, creating a cycle of mutual self-love.
When someone loves us for who we are, prioritizing our joy and freedom over their own needs, they liberate us. It's like releasing a bird to soar or sparing a fish in a river, valuing its happiness above our desires.
How can love help others?
Loving others enables us to treat them as we would want to be treated. It makes us more considerate of their needs and more likely to sacrifice for their benefit. Love inspires forgiveness, selflessness, and the teaching of kindness, compassion, and patience. When we love others more than we are 'in love' with them, we prioritize their happiness and freedom to choose their own path for their benefit.
How can we feel more loved by others?
Kindness is essential. When we are kind to others, help them during their time of need, and show love and forgiveness without expecting anything in return, we help build belief in love and altruism. Seeking love by pretending to be someone we're not can lead to deception, heartbreak, and damage trust in relationships.
In order to feel more loved by others we must be willing to take a risk and make ourselves 'vulnerable' to heartbreak and disappointment. We must be willing recipients in order to receive love. Being afraid to be imperfect can prevent us from truly letting others in and experiencing what it is to be loved by another.
How can we love others more?
The feeling of love is natural and innate, serving as the driving force of life. Our experiences and upbringing shape this emotion, along with the love we receive. The more love we experience, the more we can express to others. Feeling loved ourselves enables us to love others. If we struggle to feel loved and authentic, we must prioritize loving ourselves first.
How can we love ourselves more?
To truly love ourselves, we must first understand the essence of love. Love is the selfless act of setting someone or something we adore "free," often requiring personal sacrifice. It's important to note that loving ourselves is not the same as being "in love" with ourselves; the former embodies selflessness and generosity, while the latter reflects control, neediness, and narcissism.
To cultivate self-love, we need to recognize our worthiness of love through self-reflection and critical thinking. Embracing the notion that we can remain true to ourselves while adapting our behavior as our souls evolve is paramount. Learning from our experiences and from others doesn't compromise our authenticity; rather, it empowers us to become the individuals we aspire to be.
We can begin by pondering these questions:
- Do I have someone or something in my life that I adore to the extent that I would go out of my way to assist them in their time of need?
- If so, contemplate the attributes of that person or thing that evoke love within you. Record these characteristics, which might encompass their actions, words, or behavior, eliciting profound affection within you.
- Consider the actions that prompt your feelings of love and view them as beacons of guidance.
Conducting this exercise with multiple individuals may reveal a pattern. You can utilize the observed pattern of behavior that fosters love in others as a model to adapt your own behavior, ultimately fostering your own sense of love and appreciation.
Scripture quotes on love
Enjoy life with the wife you love. King Solomon, Ecclesiastes 9:9
It is not good for man to be alone. Genesis 2:18
There-fore a man shall leave his father and his mother and cling to his wife and they shall become one flesh. Genesis 2:26
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for your love is better than wine. King Solomon, Song of Songs 1:2
I am for my beloved, and my beloved is for me. King Solomon, Song of Songs, 2:16
Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, ‘I will work for you seven years… So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him a few days because of his love for her. Genesis 29:18-20
“Love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18)
One who has found a wife has found goodness, and has brought forth favor from God. King Solomon, Proverbs 18:22
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” 1 John 3:1
“His banner over me is love.” Song of Songs 2:4
“But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” Psalm 86:15
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” 1 Chronicles 16:34
“The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His Love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17
“Let them give thanks to the Lord for His Unfailing Love and His Wonderful Deeds for men, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” Psalm 107:8-9
“Your Love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your Faithfulness to the skies. Your Righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your Justice like the great deep.” Psalm 36:5-6
“But you are a Forgiving God, Gracious and Compassionate, slow to anger and Abounding in Love…” Nehemiah 9:17
“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35
“If you love me, you will obey what I command.” John 14:15
“Hate stirs up trouble, but love forgives all offenses.” Proverbs 10:12
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” Proverbs 17:17
“He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8
“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great…" Luke 6:35
“Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death… Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away.” Song of Songs 8:6-7
“I will declare that Your Love stands firm forever, that you established Your Faithfulness in Heaven itself.” Psalm 89:2
“The earth is filled with Your Love, O Lord…” Psalm 119:64
“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’” Matthew 22:37-39
“But be very careful…to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey His commands, to hold fast to Him and to Serve Him with all your heart and all your soul.” Joshua 22:5
“‘Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet My Unfailing Love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of Peace be removed,’ says the Lord, Who has Compassion on you.” Isaiah 54:10
“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favour and a good name in the sight of God and man.” Proverbs 3:3-4
“Because Your Love is better than life, my lips will glorify You.” Psalm 63:3
‘And He is The Oft-Forgiving, The Most Loving.’ Quran 85:14
‘Indeed those who have believed and done righteous deeds- The Most Merciful will appoint for them affection.’ Quran 19:96
‘Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in God, certainly, God loves those who put their trust in Him .’ Quran 3:159
‘And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquillity in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought’ Quran 30:21
“The believers are but brothers, so make settlement between your brothers. And fear God that you may receive mercy” Quran 49:10
“And do good; indeed, God loves the doers of good” Quran 2:195
“Never will you attain the good [reward] until you spend [in the way of God] from that which you love. And whatever you spend – indeed, God is Knowing of it” Quran 3:92
‘Worship God and associate nothing with Him, and to parents do good, and to relatives, orphans, the needy, the near neighbour, the neighbour farther away, the companion at your side, the traveller, and those whom your right hands possess. Indeed, God does not like those who are self-deluding and boastful.’ Quran 4:36
‘Say: If you should love God, then follow me. God will love you and forgive you your sins, for God is Forgiving and Merciful.’ Quran 3:31
‘Be good. Verily, God loves those who are good.’ Quran 2:195
O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear God, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed, God is ever, over you, an Observer. Quran 4:1
‘They are clothing for you and you are clothing for them’ [Quran 2:187]