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Brent
08-18-2006, 03:13 AM
As recently as a couple of years ago, I failed to understand how to love God. How can one experience "warm, fuzzy feelings" towards an invisible being? It baffled me. Then, as I began reading more of the Scriptures, and gradually grew in my faith as a result, I came to the conclusion that love is not about feeling as much as it is about DOING.

As Jesus Christ said: "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

What was responsible for my initial, false impression of love?

Well, consider this. Our society places a great deal of emphasis on "feelings" in regards to love. This is also the society in which the divorce rate exceeds 50%. How exactly can two people truly love each other, and yet so casually throw aside their marriage vows? The answer is simple: our society does not know what love is truly about. Only the Scriptures, the Words of God, contain true insight into the nature of love.

Again, to quote the Savior: "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching."

Here it is demonstrated that love goes hand-in-hand with obedience. If we truly love the Lord, we will do as He commands us to do; that is to say, we will unconditionally follow His Will.

Now in regards to marriage. For a husband to truly love his wife, he must sacrifice himself for her well-being. He must surrender his self-ambition, and if needed, his own life, for the well-being and safety of the more fragile sex.

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it." (Ephesians 5:25)

Likewise, for a wife to truly love her husband, she must respect her husband, and submit unto him just as she submits to God.

"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord." (Ephesians 5:22)

So you see, by applying the Scriptures, a more complete picture of love is revealed. Love is not about "warm fuzzy feelings." Love is about sacrifice, and love is obedience.

Once I reached this conclusion, I realized that loving God is actually quite simple: all that is required is doing what He asks us to do. To make matters simpler, He has provided the Holy Ghost to strengthen us, day by day, month by month, year after year. The Holy Ghost will never forsake us.

By His own love for mankind, God has enabled us to love Him, and to command that same love towards others as well. :)

Regards,
Brent

klaatu
08-18-2006, 04:32 AM
Since we've been on a R&R kick lately ...As John Lennon once said ...

Love is real, real is love,
Love is feeling, feeling love,
Love is wanting to be loved.
Love is touch, touch is love,
Love is reaching, reaching love,
Love is asking to be loved.
Love is you,
You and me,
Love is knowing,
We can be.
Love is free, free is love,
Love is living, living love,
Love is needing to be loved.

AnyOldIron
08-18-2006, 04:33 AM
One problem with this, Brent.

Your initial premise is on weak ground. You state that Jesus said ""If ye love me, keep my commandments." Where do you get this reference from? Obviously the bible? This is an extremely dubious source, written many years later by people who had never met Jesus. So it is the gospel's author that states this, not Jesus.

Your next err is the source of the commandments you use, filtered many time through many edits and sourced from many authors.

Would you really base your perspective on foundations of sand?

AnyOldIron
08-18-2006, 04:41 AM
Brent, I understand you take your beliefs seriously but it is amusing seeing someone attempt to work out how to love a fictional character.

An exercise in futility, like a classics fan attempting working out how you can love Aphrodite?

Cancel7
08-18-2006, 05:35 AM
Brent, I see a lot of sexless years ahead for you.

I'd keep this to myself if you have any hopes of finally losing your virginity.

AnyOldIron
08-18-2006, 05:40 AM
Brent, I see a lot of sexless years ahead for you.

I'd keep this to myself if you have any hopes of finally losing your virginity.

Brent either needs to get laid or smoke some weed....

maineman
08-18-2006, 05:55 AM
Brent needs to swallow the barrel of a 9mm

AnyOldIron
08-18-2006, 05:59 AM
Brent needs to swallow the barrel of a 9mm

He's just misguided. If only he would think for himself rather than allowing priests to do it for him...

maineman
08-18-2006, 06:12 AM
he's a hypocritical mean spirited hateful immature prick. He talks the talk, but never walks the walk. He is a waste of good oxygen as far as I am concerned. The planet would be better off if he were fertilizer.

LadyT
08-18-2006, 06:29 AM
Is it just me or do you ever think that Brent's really a Satanist here to put you off religion all together?

uscitizen
08-18-2006, 06:40 AM
It could be his goal LadyT. But I think he is just messed up in the head pretty bad. He needs to get counseling. And not from a religion, but a medical professional.

maineman
08-18-2006, 06:55 AM
I still think that all he needs is a one time counselling session with Doctors Smith and Wesson

uscitizen
08-18-2006, 07:12 AM
Naah, not yet anyway. He may take up that matter one day himself though if he does not get his head screwed on right.

AnyOldIron
08-18-2006, 07:16 AM
he's a hypocritical mean spirited hateful immature prick. He talks the talk, but never walks the walk. He is a waste of good oxygen as far as I am concerned. The planet would be better off if he were fertilizer.

He's a confused and misguided young man who clings desperately to absolutist positions because they are absolute, they offer simple black and whites.

uscitizen
08-18-2006, 07:22 AM
Yes anyold. Brent has an all too common logic system in place. the only conclusions he can reach is this or that. If you are not this you are that.
This type of mentality is one of the factors that cuased this country to be submitted to Bush for 8 yrs. Unless of course he is assinated, impeached or resigns.
It must be so sad to have a white or black mind with no shades of grey or colour variation. Their minds must be a pretty bleak place.

uscitizen
08-18-2006, 07:24 AM
There is also too much fear and hatred in Brents mind for him to achieve the love he is talking about.

charver
08-18-2006, 07:24 AM
You don't just think he's a sad individual who gets his kicks by seeking a great deal of attention, on internet message boards, from people willing to believe in his 'characters'?

uscitizen
08-18-2006, 07:26 AM
No Charver I think he is genuinely messed up in the head. He probably does have a love hate relationship with the attention he gets though.

charver
08-18-2006, 07:29 AM
I'm maybe too cynical, in general, but i hardly ever believe anyone is who, or what, they say on the interweb. Maybe once i may have, but that was before the 'webcam' incident.

Blackflag
08-18-2006, 08:08 AM
You don't just think he's a sad individual who gets his kicks by seeking a great deal of attention, on internet message boards, from people willing to believe in his 'characters'?

Quoted For truth

uscitizen
08-18-2006, 08:09 AM
Actually I am more myself on the net than in person. I have no reason to hold back on here. I would never consider thumping on religion in person in my area. I sure would be a hated an unpopular person.

OrnotBitwise
08-18-2006, 10:40 AM
Is it just me or do you ever think that Brent's really a Satanist here to put you off religion all together?Oh, hell yes. He just about has to be.

uscitizen
08-18-2006, 10:43 AM
No could not be, he stays away from nasty preachers daughters.

IHateGovernment
08-18-2006, 11:46 AM
Brent is correct about one thing love is what you do not what you feel. A man who beats his wife can keep saying "but I love you baby" and perhaps he means it but nevertheless he does not love her. Love is about what you do and hurting someone is not an act of love.

DigitalDave
08-18-2006, 11:48 AM
Brent just has too much time on his hands so he spends a lot of his time on philosophy and religion. I too was in his shoes, when I worked as a Lifeguard, nothing really challenged me mentaly so I wanted to find out answers to very hard to answer questions. Now, that I have a mentally draining job where logic and reasoning is a big factor, I barely think about this type of thing. I already have experienced love and know what it feels like. I no longer need to answer that for myself, and I also feel no need to discover where I came from or what comes after this. To me, it's a waste of my time simply because I know that no matter what I believe to be true, they'll be something or someone out there that could prove my theory to be incorrect. What's the point if you can never be sure.

Secondly, I mostly come to these boards to relax from my day at work, so I do post a lot of garbage. Sometimes even try to get a rise out of people (Brent specifically since it seems so easy).

However, I will say this, from my own experience, you can not KNOW love until you've experienced it. No book or novel can tell you just how it feels.

uscitizen
08-18-2006, 11:54 AM
DD,
You have read the studys where scientists and DR's are beginning to equate the state of love to insanity/mental illness ?

LadyT
08-18-2006, 11:56 AM
Brent is correct about one thing love is what you do not what you feel. A man who beats his wife can keep saying "but I love you baby" and perhaps he means it but nevertheless he does not love her. Love is about what you do and hurting someone is not an act of love.

I disagree a person that is abusive can love the object of their abuse. Things like substance abuse and depression can play a part in the violence, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they don't love them. Love is all about the feeling you get when you're with someone, its about an unspoken connection and most importantly love is your devotion to someone despite their faults. The biggest sting is when you hurt someone that you love or they hurt you, it may not be physical violence, maybe its a betrayal of some sort, but most of your regret and sorrow stems from a feeling of hurt.

DigitalDave
08-18-2006, 12:00 PM
DD,
You have read the studys where scientists and DR's are beginning to equate the state of love to insanity/mental illness ?


Well, it does tend to make you a little crazy at times. I can understand how they can come to that conclusion. Just have to have a balance n your life so you don't go nuts....

uscitizen
08-18-2006, 02:01 PM
They have been stufying the chemicals and such in the brain and say that a person in loves brain exhibits many of the same charactistics as a severly mentally ill person.
I think that anyone who has been thru it can agree.

DigitalDave
08-18-2006, 08:34 PM
They have been stufying the chemicals and such in the brain and say that a person in loves brain exhibits many of the same charactistics as a severly mentally ill person.
I think that anyone who has been thru it can agree.


Of course, when your in love, you tend to hit mental highs and lows. Little things become a big deal all of a sudden. I try to meditate regularly to keep my mind in check from going crazy. I think anyone that has been in love can admit that your mind works much differently when in that state.

Damocles
08-18-2006, 08:37 PM
I think that people are mistaking the original infatuation for love.

BRUTALITOPS
08-18-2006, 11:22 PM
brent i am sorry but shut the fuck up, you are using god as exucse becaus eyour life is so shitty. I don't blieve it for a seonc.d Stp making excuses for your lack of a social life, for your lack of anything fun. Relgion shouldn't exist to justify your suckiness, it should exist to make your life better and not jusitify how sucky everythign is.

Get a god damn llife you dumb spaz.

sorry but it's the truth,
-- matt

BRUTALITOPS
08-18-2006, 11:24 PM
he's a hypocritical mean spirited hateful immature prick. He talks the talk, but never walks the walk. He is a waste of good oxygen as far as I am concerned. The planet would be better off if he were fertilizer.

maineman, how about you actually try being the liberal you are supposed to be for a change and learn to be a little more passive and forgiving. bdw is only 22. Cut him some god damn slack.. What were you like at this age?

Brent
08-19-2006, 01:18 AM
I think that people are mistaking the original infatuation for love.

Precisely.

Brent
08-19-2006, 01:23 AM
One problem with this, Brent.

Your initial premise is on weak ground. You state that Jesus said ""If ye love me, keep my commandments." Where do you get this reference from? Obviously the bible? This is an extremely dubious source, written many years later by people who had never met Jesus. So it is the gospel's author that states this, not Jesus.

Your next err is the source of the commandments you use, filtered many time through many edits and sourced from many authors.

Would you really base your perspective on foundations of sand?

The Bible is true -- whether you wish to accept this or not is irrelevant. You're free to believe as you wish, but you're wrong. Interesting how you're willing to accept that Christ existed. If the apostles lied about doctrine, who says Christ ever existed to begin with? On what basis do you pick and choose which words are original and which are not? Based on what reasoning do you reach your conclusions?

You're not being logical, AnyoldIron. ;)

Brent
08-19-2006, 01:28 AM
brent i am sorry but shut the fuck up, you are using god as exucse becaus eyour life is so shitty. I don't blieve it for a seonc.d Stp making excuses for your lack of a social life, for your lack of anything fun. Relgion shouldn't exist to justify your suckiness, it should exist to make your life better and not jusitify how sucky everythign is.

Get a god damn llife you dumb spaz.

sorry but it's the truth,
-- matt

^ Evidence that you don't know anything about my life.

Care4all
08-19-2006, 05:57 AM
As recently as a couple of years ago, I failed to understand how to love God. How can one experience "warm, fuzzy feelings" towards an invisible being? It baffled me. Then, as I began reading more of the Scriptures, and gradually grew in my faith as a result, I came to the conclusion that love is not about feeling as much as it is about DOING.

As Jesus Christ said: "If ye love me, keep my commandments."


brent.....please read below and tell me what commandments we should follow....

What is the greatest commandment? What is this "love" that we are suppose to give to our neighbors, who are our neighbors?

Those that disagree with us are our neighbors too.....do you show love towards those that differ with us, like muslims, athiests, etc.....? Is this love different from loving your wife?

----------------------------------------------------------------
The Greatest Commandment and the Parable of the Good Samaritan

Jesus engaged in much public debate with the Pharisees and Sadducees, two Jewish factions that opposed Him and his teachings. It was during one of these debates that Jesus stated the Greatest Commandment:

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." (NIV, Mark 12:28-31).

"Love your neighbor as yourself" was part of the Old Testament law (Leviticus 19:18). But the Jewish teachers had often interpreted "neighbor" to include only people of their own nationality and religion. In Luke, the man who asked Jesus about the greatest of the commandments wanted justification for that interpretation, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" In response, Jesus told the famous Parable of the Good Samaritan. A Jewish man had been beaten by robbers and left half dead beside the road. Two different religious leaders passed by but did nothing to help. Finally, a Samaritan man came by and took pity on the injured man. He gave him water, patched up his wounds, put him on his own donkey and took him to an inn where he could rest and recover:

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise." (NIV, Luke 10:25-37 )

Samaria was a region of central Palestine that was once the capital of Israel. In 721 B.C. it was captured by the Assysrians who deported much of the population and replaced them with foreign colonists (2 Kings 17:24-33). The colonists were pagans who eventually intermarried with the remaining Jews. They adopted the religion of Israel, but they also continued to worship their pagan idols. The Jews considered the Samaritans to be religious heretics of a foreign nationality and inferior race. The Samaritans offered to help rebuild the Jewish temple, but their offer was rudely rebuffed (Ezra 4:1-3). Finally the Samaritans built a rival temple on Mt. Gerizim and proclaimed it, rather than the Jewish temple, to be the true house of God. By the time of Jesus, the Jews and Samaritans had hated each other for hundreds of years.

With that background, it is easy to understand that there was no one the Jewish expert in the law would have considered to be less of a "neighbor" than a Samaritan. If a Samaritan man could be a "neighbor" to the Jewish man who was robbed and beaten, then the definition of "neighbor" would have to include all people, regardless of race, religion, nationality or any other artificial distinction.

The Samaritan man gave freely of both his time and his money to help a Jewish man who was not only a stranger, but also was of a different religion, a foreigner and an enemy of his people. In His Parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus challenges us to "Go and do likewise." We do not have to agree with other people's beliefs and opinions or condone their actions, but Jesus calls us to overcome our prejudices and show our kindness to all people of the world and consider them our "neighbors."


Related verses: Matthew 5:43-48, 22:34-40, Luke 6:27-36, John 13:34-35, Romans 12:17-21

DigitalDave
08-19-2006, 09:03 AM
I think that people are mistaking the original infatuation for love.

No Damo, he is talking about the love of a man would have for a woman and a woman for a man. It's not the same love you feel for your mom or dad, though you feel that as well, it just isn't the same. I'm not talking about the 'butterflies' you get in your stomach when you start to fall in love, I'm talking about the heightened state of emotions you have when you are in love. You tend to think differently towards that person than you do about anyone else.

DigitalDave
08-19-2006, 09:04 AM
Precisely.

Precisely, you have no clue....