• November 1, 2012
• 3

Let us Love

Throughout life, we deal with relationships with people — especially in college when you meet hordes of people and are put in situations with people that you may have never been in before.

A lot of these experiences can be very rewarding and make memories that last a lifetime.  Most of my favorite experiences have derived from the relationships I have made at CBU.

For example, I have always loved having late-night conversations with my roommates and close friends. I will always remember the silly moments that are inevitable when other high-energy college students surround you — running through the sprinklers on the front lawn, having epic nerf-gun battles and wearing sombreros and mustaches around campus.

But what about those times when relationships are tough, and they aren’t giving you fits of giggles?

These are the times that really shape us and teach us more about our faith. They can be difficult, but they should make us thankful for many reasons. These situations can be used to bring us closer to God and teach us how to love others better. After conflict or misunderstandings are resolved, friends can be drawn closer together with a better understanding of each other.

Another good reason to give thanks is that in my times of relationship difficulties, I have grown to know my Bible better. The Bible talks quite a bit about relationships and has the information, advice, and insights one needs to understand and make them better.

In 1 John 4, it declares that we should love one another, because love comes from God (v. 7).  It says that whoever loves God will love their brother and sister (v. 20).

But what does this love look like? Well, it is a good thing God did not leave us in the dark on that one. In 1 Corinthians 13, it gives a pretty detailed description of what love is.

Now, some people have made 1 Corinthians the anthem of romantic love, but in reality it is not just about romantic love relationships. When I was a Resident Advisor at CBU, I read 1 Corinthians 13 to my residents on the very first day they arrived. I did this because if people learn to love each other like God would have us do, we would be able to live in harmony together.

Verses 4-7 say:

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.

These verses are very relatable to real-life situations.  Some good tips for maintaining good relationships throughout life are:

• Do not leave things unresolved.  It is easier sometimes to just walk away from the situation and say “I don’t need them,” but God says that if you have something between you and your brother/sister, you need to fix it before you can worship Him rightly.
• Remember to love. We cannot always love perfectly, but God gives us the strength and insights to love people the way we should.
• Do not treat relationships the way the world does. If we Christians follow the Bible as we ought, relationships should thrive. It takes great courage to go against our natural instincts and follow the Biblical precepts, which are not natural to us.

God created us for relationships; we are made for relationships with Him and with others.  If we follow His Word, we can enjoy relationships more fully throughout our lives.