Love is a Risk

As I awoke this morning, I had this thought in my mind, "Love is a risk". I had been contemplating events in my life and several events in history that have shaped me. I have come to the conclusion that love is definitely a risk and we all venture into it in someway, shape or form. Before we continue, here is a definition of risk according to www.dictionary.com:

risk

noun

1.

exposure to the chance of injury or loss; a hazard or dangerous chance: It's not worth the risk.

I look at love in the romantic aspect and see many risks. Let's take a look at this self-endangering, yet hopeful, endeavor. A man falls in love with a woman, or vice versa, and begins to pursue her. The man or woman then puts themselves on the line to pursue love. After an X amount of time, you realize whether you truly love this person romantically or not and either you end the risk or you continue the pursuit. Both parties have thrown themselves into this pot of "risk" and began to add and boil different ingredients. There is a little vulnerability, accountability, wooing, singing, love staring, hand holding, deep talking, goodness! Where one risks being seen and known for who they are. You "put yourself on the line" and hope that you don't fall off, or are asked to get off. 

The only way I know how to see true love is in who Jesus is. Jesus, for the sake of love and us, came to the earth to love us. He came teaching how to live and what the Kingdom looks like. He came down knowing full well that a risk was involved. He knew that there would be people that said "no" to Him. But, why did He come? Why would He say "yes" to God's purposes and "yes" to the pain He would endure both physically, emotionally, and spiritually? He said "yes" because He knew that the reward of love was far greater than the risk of love. Jesus didn't lay His life down to get something; He laid His life down to give everything!

If I didn't know how Jesus loved, then I wouldn't know what love really looks like. I would look at the face of love and see "risk" written all over and run with my tail between my legs. If you look close enough at love is a risk in the light of Jesus, you will see " love is possible". I look at Jesus' life and say to myself that I want to be like Him. I am willing to give everything to love the person in front of me. I am willing to lay down my own life, reputation, goals, will, EVERYTHING because He did and is doing the same for me. In that place, I truly find who I am and what I am made for.

"What does love look like?" You might be asking yourself. I don't have the answers, but the Bible sure has a clue! :) 

⁴ Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant ⁵ or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;^[b] 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸ Love never ends.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

I want to be like Jesus and love unconditionally. I want to love like Him not knowing if what I give will be returned. Love is a risk, but with Him, Love is Possible!