Ahava.

These past couple of days, I have been wanting to write, but couldn’t decide on a topic. So I put it off and waited for God to give me some inspiration. That inspiration came one day while scrolling through Twitter. The same day the Beyoncé/Jay Z cheating scandal erupted, I came across several tweets like, “There is no hope for relationships anymore," and “I’ll never be able to trust a guy.” For obvious reasons, this bothered me. A lot. It seems like every day a new cheating scandal or divorce rumor is making headlines in the latest tabloid and looks something like this:

And the sad part is, that is what we are influenced by. We see Jay-Z and Beyoncé and think that’s “true love.” Then when it fails, we assume true love doesn't exist anymore. Society has trained us, from movies to TV shows, to songs on what love is. Today, love is shallow, hollow, ridiculous, and empty. Love is purely emotive. Love can be fallen into and out of, depending on how happy the person makes us. Love today is, “You make me happy, so I love you.” So what happens when you get past the honeymoon stage and start noticing eachother’s weaknesses? What happens when the baggage you both carry is unpacked? When the other person doesn’t make you "feel the same" anymore?

All you have to do is look at the divorce rate for that answer. Society says if someone isn’t making you happy anymore—then just go find someone new. Instead of unconditional, today, love is purely conditional. Exactly opposite of what the Bible teaches.

The Hebrews used the word “Ahava” to define a “love of will.” Ahava says, “I’ve seen the ugly parts of you, and I’m staying.” It is a love based off of more than emotions. A deep love. A love that will LAST. It is God’s love.

Why is this important? Because if we don’t understand biblical love, we will never fully grasp the amazing power of God’s love for US. A love that we don’t have to work for. A love that we can come just as we are, and not fear that one day He will “fall out of love” with us. There is NOTHING we can do that will make God stop loving us!

Now don’t get me wrong, when I meet the man I am going to marry, I hope there are butterflies in my stomach and he makes me feel like the most important girl in the world! But I also want “Ahava.” I want a love that says, “I’m not going anywhere.” So that when I accidentally forget to record that playoff game, or when I hurt his feelings, or when he walks past a smokin' hot girl at the grocery store—I’ll know that he will still love ME. Because his love for me is based off of more than just emotions. It is based off of God’s love for us---a love that is patient, kind, humble, and honorable. A love that keeps no record of wrongs. A love that always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. A love that never fails.

So if you want to see examples of real love… skip the tabloids and open your Bible. I promise you will find examples of lasting relationships. You might even find one that lasts longer than 30 days :)