The journal prompt I had for today was to define what love means to me. It’s also the day after Valentine’s Day, so love is in the air. Truth is, I’ve never really felt love, or what I would think to be love. I would guess that love is something that’s a natural euphoria. It shouldn’t take much effort to feel love. This is the type of love that I feel for my family. I don’t have to do anything, I just know that we love each other.

How does that change for someone in the relationship point of view. Does love have to be built, or is it the same love that organically just happens. The only definition I can think of when talking about love is a bible verse.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

The biggest draw to that passage is that it’s not self-seeking. True love reinforces the needs of other people. It’s an act of altruism. Love is something to share between all people, not just our relationships. Sometimes I get caught up into falling in love that I forget that I need to be the same way to others as I am to potential mate.

Does that make a romantic relationship any different than any other relationship? I go back to the self-seeking part of the verse. Love has to be mutual. If I love someone and they don’t love me back, there is no love. That simple fact makes it easy for me to just go to the next girl, when I probably should stick it out. I don’t know honestly.

The only thing I can control is myself. If I want love, I have to emit love. I do believe that’s the only way. It’s not swiping on apps, or picking up chicks at the club. It’s emitting love in every aspect of my life. From there I can see if any of the relationships I build become a romantic relationship.