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Your Question:
Can love turn to dust in our daily lives?
Answer:
As a pastor and a husband, I've given this question a lot of thought. I believe that love can indeed turn to dust in our daily lives if we're not intentional about nurturing it. When we're swept up in the initial emotions of a new relationship, it's easy to get caught up in the idea that love is just a feeling. But as the Greek philosophers noted, love is not just an emotion, but a choice and a commitment to serve another person. In my experience, love grows out of a comprehensive attraction to the person's character, future, and mission in life. It's not just about feeling a strong emotional connection, but about choosing to serve and sacrifice for the good of the other person. This is what I call sacrificial love. It's the kind of love that lasts a lifetime, even when the emotions are dry or cold. As a husband, I've seen this kind of love grow in my relationship with Susan over the years. We've learned to choose each other, even when it's hard, and to serve each other with love and compassion. I think what can happen is that we get caught up in our own desires and expectations, and we start to see love as a feeling rather than a choice. But when we define love as a choice and a commitment, we can never love someone too much. Our problem is that we often love God too little, and our love for our spouses suffers as a result. As Katherine Anne Porter said, "Love must be learned." It's not something that just happens naturally; it's something that requires effort and intentionality. As a pastor, I've seen this play out in the marriages of our congregation, and I believe it's a key part of building a strong and lasting love.
Sources:
mere christianity
c s lewis
meaning of marriage
timothy keller
systematic theology
wayne grudem
biblical critical theory
christopher watkin
introduction biblical ethics
robertson mcquilkin
sacred marriage
gary thomas
philippians colossioan philemon
r kent hughes
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