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Chapter 2 - My Thoughts on Love

I am not a religious person but that doesn't mean that I cant learn from something I heard relating to religion. One of my favorite Bible verses is about love.

1 Corinthians 13

New International Version

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and and fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease;where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child,I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Most people only know the middle of this passage and while that piece is important I think the entire passage gives you a better picture of what love should be like.

This passage is not referring to any particular kind of love. I believe it refers to all kinds of love, romantic, platonic, family, and self-love. I struggle the most with self-love. It is kind of strange that I struggle the most with self love but I am so quick to forgive others. I have some significant trauma relating to family love and romantic love particularly and yet I am so willing to love others despite what I have been through. We as people need to learn to love ourselves the same way. Forgive, accept, and love anyway.

I truly believe that all of these things about love are true love is patient, kind, does not envy, does not boast, is not proud, does not dishonor others, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs. While all of these things are true we have to keep in mind that we are only human so there is room for error. Love is all of these things and more but people are not this way naturally, people have to work hard to be this way.

Love when it is done right in any capacity is truly life changing. I say this from experience I have worked so hard to be where I am in my life and I can say that I am so different than I was a few years ago. I love myself more than I ever have flaws and all. I know my weaknesses but I also know my strengths and while I may get frustrated or annoyed by these things I still love myself despite what I don't like. Learning how to do that was by far the hardest thing I have ever done, but it is so worth it.

Because I love myself I now have so much more love to give to others. All of this being said I encourage you to do the same. Take a hard look at yourself and learn the good and bad. Change what you don't like if you can do it in a healthy loving way. Except what you cannot change and love yourself anyway.

And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.