Love is...

I've been reading Rob Bell's book Sex God this past week. I'm about half-way through it. There is a lot of talk in Christian-land on whether Rob Bell is the next Billy Graham or some sort of heretic. I, for one, really enjoy Rob's sermons and teachings...but like any Christian should, I strive to investigate what people say and write.

Regardless of that, I really like what Rob wrote on love and risk on pg. 98...

"Love is handing your heart to someone and taking the risk that they will
hand it back because they don't want it."

"Love is giving away power. When we love, we give the other person
the power in the relationship."

"Love is a giving away. When we love, we put ourselves out there, we
expose ourselve, we allw oursleves to be vulnerable."

"Love is giving up control. It's surrendering the desire to control the
other person."

(for whatever reason, I can't get this justified left...but onward I go)

This is what God did with us. He loved us enough to give us free will. He loved us enough to give us his Son. He loved enough to risk that we might reject His love. When we understand God's love for us, it compels us to look at the love we have for those around us. It moves us to a selfless love, an empowering love.

In the New Year, my prayer is to ask God to help me take risk and to love as He loves me.