True Love Waits

Since today is a day of celebrating love (not just for our husbands or boyfriends!), and we are talking about purity in both REVEAL and Sunday school (isn't it funny how God works like that to be talking about the same topic at the same time), I thought I would share a few words on True Love Waits.

Love. I just love the word love. Don't you? Isn't it strange that in the English language we use the same word to describe our feelings towards pizza, our best friend, our pet, God, and then the man we marry! The Greeks had it figured out-they recognized the various forms that love takes.

Eros is a love that is passionate and intimate.  A married woman might describe her love for her husband as a mix between eros and agape.

Storge is a love that is felt from the bond between family members like your mom, dad, siblings, etc. "I storge you, Dad!

Phileo is a brotherly love. One might use phileo when they talk about their feelings towards their best friend, the hurting people of Haiti, or for their job or hobby. I have a phileo for cheesecake, for example!

Agape is the highest form of love. It's unconditional. It's "true love." It's the unchanging love between a husband and a wife or unchanging love a parent has for a child.

When I turned 15 my parents gave me a True Love Waits ring. It was a simple, thin, gold band that I wore on my left ring finger. I loved it! I never needed that symbol in my possession to keep me from making a bad choice, but there was something so special about looking down at the finger that would someday wear an engagement ring and see my promise to my husband there. It reminded me not to get jaded when a dating relationship would end. It reminded my to pray for my future husband. And it reminded me that I was valuable-a treasure-and that I shouldn't compromise anything for anyone.

When I was 17 (yikes) I met the man I would later marry. 4 years later he replaced my TLW ring with a beautiful diamond engagement ring and we were married 10 months later. I was so thankful that on my wedding day I was able to look in my new husband's eyes and stand before God having never compromised my standards.

As we have been studying about love and purity and February is the month of LOVE, spend some quiet time over the next few weeks with God. First, make 2 columns on a sheet of paper-one for desirable qualities and one for non-negotiable qualities. Desirable qualities like hair color, college major, or level of musical ability can be negotiated if you feel led in another direction when you meet someone, but those non-negotiable qualities like their faith in Jesus Christ, love of family, or other qualities that are important to who you are, should not be. Jot down a few notes in both of those columns of what you would like in the man you someday marry. Pray over the list and for your future husband, wherever he is, that he would surround himself with godly people, make wise choices, and pursue the Lord with this whole heart, especially not stumbling in staying pure for you!

Secondly, make a list of standards for your dating relationships. Think about the physical and emotional boundaries you want to create and then write them down and keep them somewhere to refer back to as a reminder. You may not be in a relationship now, but it's always easier to take a stand before you get into a physical relationship rather than having to back-track once you've already gone farther physically than you would have wanted to.

I hope this encourages you in making a commitment to the Lord and to your future spouse! I am praying for each of you on your journey in life!

Now, go use your new-found knowledge of the different words for love and spend some time thinking about the things in your life that you love!

Loving Jesus together,
Morgan