What is Love?

(Baby don’t hurt me).

Let me take you along a classic Charles express train of thought. My car was in an accident today, and now I’m forced to confront whether I love God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit enough. There’s a logic behind this, hang with me.

I like to think I’m a very loving person. I love my family. I love to drive. And as I’ve told anyone who would listen, I love my job and could easily change careers if I didn’t. I’m still on the fence whether I love my car, per se, but I’m pretty close. In some ways, I still love my ex too. But when it comes to God and Jesus, can I honestly, freely, and sincerely say “I love God” and “I love Jesus”?

I can dance around it. I love where God has put me. I love what I’ve been blessed with, whether it is friends, talents or things. I love my church groups and worship music. Maybe it’s the sheer abstraction of it, but I have a harder time saying I love God.

Googling “How to love God” doesn’t seem to help much. Articles such as these tell you what to do, but it really doesn’t change one’s heart.

I don’t have an answer, just a mess of thoughts. My love languages have been a shifting mess, but Acts of Service and Quality Time are at the top, so maybe I need to focus on what’s been done for me and spend more time alone with Him. I feel slightly guilty, but anyone’s who has been guilted into staying in a relationship can attest that guilt doesn’t lead to love, so there’s no point leaning into that one. I am always appreciative of what I’ve been blessed with, for what that’s worth. All I know is, I need to work on it.