Seeking Authentic Love

February 14th. It’s finally here … the seemingly most dreaded day for all the single people in the world.

Your friends, family & others you know might be out celebrating with “that special person” while you are stuck at home all alone wondering will that ever be me? Am I even worthy enough to be loved? And if that’s exactly how you’re feeling today, it’s okay to feel that way. In fact, it’s normal & I’m standing with you.

We all have the desire to be loved, known, & seen. And our desire to find our future husband/wife stems from that very fact. So you might be asking, if that’s the case then why hasn’t Mr. or Mrs. Right popped up? And that’s a great question …

There is so much depth to love. Think of a good friend of yours. This is most likely a person you would do a lot for. They have been there through some of your trials & triumphs & walked with you despite it all. A kind of person you would do a lot for, or I should say have a great love for because you are invested in them too.

It’s our nature to crave love. We were made for relationships & that desire to be loved, known, & seen is real. Just like the fellowship we experience through a good friend, we can find that through authentic love, but where will we find such a thing?

We are all seeking something & are incomplete until we find it, yet I think in today’s society we are looking for worldly love before we seek eternal love. This causes us to miss a large part of where our focus should be when in a relationship. The Lord is the ultimate example of what true, authentic love is. His death & life reminds us that we are loved because He simply holds us in existence constantly. His love is relentlessly pursuing us & actively choosing us.

He shows us how to love through the way He interacts with those He encountered from the beggar on the street to the woman at the well. Jesus is loving His people. In the same way, our focus when thinking about future relationships should be centered around the principle of faith. 

As a single woman, I cannot say I have all the experience in the world (so take this with a grain of salt if you will), but our focus should first be on the Lord. I remember someone mentioning in a talk a couple of years back that you should pursue Christ daily & constantly take steps deeper, but then look to your side & see who is running with you. It is crucial to be pushing those alongside you to holiness. Not forcefully, but simply by living your daily life in a way that reflects the Lord. By putting your relationships in the hands of the Lord, He leads you. And who better to lead you than the King of the World?

I think that in our society today, dating & the word love, in general, has lost meaning. It can be interpreted as social status or even abused by individuals wanting to seek physical or emotional use. Despite negative connotations sometimes following the word, I have seen beautiful examples of authentic love in my life whether through a married couple or a single person living out their vocation in unity with the Lord. 

Love is not just an emotion though, it’s also an action. And even though you might not receive a rose or gift today from a “Valentine,” it doesn’t mean that you aren’t worthy of love. 

It’s easy to wonder why you don’t have that perfect relationship like your childhood friend or feel that same kind of love seen in the Hallmark movies, but don’t get down on yourself. Keep your standards set in stone. There is someone out there for you. And whether or not you are called to married life or a single life, there will always be one person that will walk with you through it all, Jesus.