If there is any word in this world that has lost its place in relationships, it's love. The world has substituted love for everything from people, to money, careers, things, sex, feelings, etc. The saddest thing about it, the replacements has crept their way to church. Most relationships among the people of God are now a reflection of what's in the world rather than a replica of what's in the Word. Love itself has not changed. It is built solely on your acts-what you do, what you give-your every act of kindness.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son... " St John 3:16 NIV

Love is verified through deeds of kindness. It hasn't lost its luster, its purpose, its drive, or its assignment. It has and always will do what it was originally intended to do. In order to receive the complete manifestation of it, we have to give up our own selfish, inconsiderate and insensitive perception and definition of love and take on the real genuine meaning of it. For the bible defines love as God.

"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1 John 4:8 NIV

Love's definition is so plain and simple, but its people who have made it so complex. In this is generation, most efforts to find love are initiated with dreams of settling down with the fine biceps, nice body, beautiful hair, and that exceptionally financial-friendly person, not realizing that this mindset of settling down is rather more in lines of settling for the imitation version of love. Understand that having someone who's handsome and beautiful with money is not the problem. The dilemma is failing to decipher what takes precedence over the other in relationship. Do they love you? or have they fallen head-over-hills in love with what you have? This is not a gender-specific error, for it applies to male and female. People have simply reconstructed the meaning of love and its attributes to fit them and their own personal agenda, and wonder why relationships often result in death. Understand that when it comes to building anything, especially relationships, the initial start of the construction, the foundation, influences the assembly of the entire building. If your relationship foundation is built on anything other than the things that's designed to make it durable and stand against the poundings of the heat, rain, and winds, it will sooner or later tumble. At some point, no matter how good it looks, or appear to others, it will come down. How your life of love is built matters.

"Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it... " Psalm 127:1 KJV

What Bait Are You Using to Attract Love?

On a journey for love, we have a tendency to display the very thing we want others to like or love about us most. For example, women and men alike, whether consciously or subconsciously, tend to highlight tangible things such as cars, homes, money, etc.; financial statuses, physical physiques, careers, and ministry are included. Please don't misinterpret this to suggest that all those things carry no weight in relationships, because to a certain degree they do. However, on a search for love, the thing you really need to place emphasis on most is the real genuine qualities of you-no makeup, body parts, financial status, or anything of such. Displaying all these outer qualities draws attention away from the real you. Therefore, leading others to love what you do best; enticing them to place emphasis on your body parts, careers, and monetary status more than you. At the end of the day, when real love comes, it's looking for you. This rings true in all relationships, whether seeking a spouse, friend, job, business, or even relationships in ministry. You'd be surprised to the many people who falls in love with the idea of marriage or the wedding more so than the person they're marrying or married to. Many relationships are held together by finances; as many are also intact as long as he or she retains their physical physique. You must remember that the adhesive you use to hold your relationship together will fasten as long as you use the right glue. If the glue you use loses its ability to stick, whatever's held together by it is at risk of falling apart. With that being said, to ensure real genuine love in your relationships, take advantage of the glue, the love, the God that's able to make it stick and last. This is the love that is defined and generated by God.

Your Relationship with God Reflects

Your relationship with God is a direct reflection of your relationship with others. For that reason, the bible requires us to love God first, then others as we would ourselves. Rightly so, we're not ready to love others until we learn how to love God. For loving God teaches us how to love ourselves as well as others. If your love for others is out of alignment or not in the right perspective, then your relationship with God is the same-questionable. We must be careful and intentional about not choosing to make a life with people who do not have a relationship with God. On the other hand, it's just as risky to pursue relationships with those who do love God, while lacking in that area yourself. That will attract major turmoil for both involved. If he has problems loving God, he'll have problems loving the people or daughter of God. We're conceding to allow others to love us according to the world's standards and not the Word's when we don't strategize in relationships. Don't choose to accept reduced or imitation love over the abundant kind of love that only comes from God. If it means having to wait on the Lord, then wait.

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends... " 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 ESV