What is love to the world today? Disgusting! The love that exists among us today is an illusion stricken by the attraction to success, money, power & material possessions. We love attention; we love our precious social networks, technology, elaborate clothes & scrumptious cuisines. We love explicit material, drugs, sex, the element of danger, flirting, flings, guilty pleasures we all know the old crazy stuff in between. Everyone has turned to their own way. We love the bad things & hate the good stuff for us don’t we? It comes easy to validate ourselves in being self righteous or simply indulge in doing wrong. We do what we want most times because the power in the freedom to do so it feels good doesn’t it?
The right thing often feels like it costs us having to sacrifice our very own happiness rather than be capable of embracing the opportunity for a moment of pleasure but we only live once right? We have no patience or tolerance for disappointment. We cannot wait can we? We refuse to let a chance for stimulation slip away or allow ourselves to miss out on the very least bit of satisfaction. Are we not pleased with all that we are fortunate enough to have? Is this life not already sufficient? Is it just that we’re that unhappy that we are willing to settle for temporary happiness or are we really only too selfish & narcissistic about fulfilling our own needs? Maybe we simply are so neglected, abused & starved of attention, love & affection that we will allow ourselves to accept the superficial inadequacies of life that bring us the false senses of relief & tranquility.
Under the pretenses of pain, heartbreak, grief & loneliness lies our reasoning as to why we find ourselves choosing to cope through the many addictions we suffer. We don’t need to drink but we believe it helps. We don’t need to smoke but supposed it helps. We shouldn’t so promiscuously offer our bodies to sexual arousals & advancements but we think it helps. What more do we or others benefit from them except for disease, cancer & heartache? It’s just like the choice between having a glass of water that is good for you or any other beverage known to man that is like poison. We’ll most times choose that poison. Why? Well it tastes good! We love the way it makes us feel! It just looks nice & refreshing & frankly water is plain & ordinary. Water is boring & bland. The water is too wet yet water is the purest & best fluid for us.
Our bodies are made up of 90% water. Of course after we’ve consumed enough poison & we haven’t had water it seems gross going down. You may feel nauseated as your stomach wants to reject it but after you get past the discomfort your insides begin to feel better. When you are hot you cool off. When you are dehydrated the water actually does quench your thirst. Then after a little while we say to ourselves “I’ve been drinking enough water & I feel fine so I think I will have just a little poison today.”
An even more practical example, When we are sick we are quick to swallow some meds at the hint of a little pain but slow to finish medicine when they are to heal or make us better! Why? Well that takes discipline, commitment & time. What type of crazy person does any of that? Is the shallow mindset of the elder & the youth. This is not to say that we should not enjoy life. Perfect we are by no means so we will make mistakes. How else can one learn that the fire is hot until they get burned by it? May we first understand what we stand for? What do we love? Next we need to least consider the accountability for the price of our choices & actions. WHATEVER IT is IT really worth it? True enough all things are permissible but all things are not beneficial. Most times selfish motives lead to self destruction & there is nothing worse than self inflicted peril. I do not come to command anyone on how to live it. That itself… It has already been written. This life is a gift that was meant to be enjoyed but let us choose longevity over long suffering. Keep God 1st my friends & let us love ourselves enough that we may love others even more.
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
1 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.