Are you willing to lose yourself for love?
or better yet can you go the extra mile for your favorite thing or person?
Imagine this-you’re scrolling on Facebook and found a Thought catalog or Boiling Waters post about love. Entitled: “I lost myself in the process of loving you“. The title captured you, so you clicked on the article and read the heartbreaking yet beautifully written article of the author.
Love is such an overrated topic of discussion nowadays-isn’t it? But this particular article caught your attention per se the graphics or the title-The question is why?
The answer is simple, the content of the article resonated within you. The words of the author spoke to you and elicited an emotional response in you. There was a time in your life where you once gave your all for that one person that you love. Unfortunately, it only ended up losing yourself and the person that you loved. Then different kinds of emotions started to rose from your chest after reading the said article. It ranges from regret, anger to sadness. You remembered the good times and bad times with that person. The bittersweet memories so it seems.
It was once a beautiful and hopeful story which ended tragically. You lost yourself and the love that you once gave away.
It doesn’t happen solely in romantic relationships but also in all other kinds of relationships such as family, friendships, classmates, co-workers, etc.
We’ve all been there. I understand your heartbreak but let me take this opportunity to remind you that loving someone unconditionally is not a bad thing.
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
-John 15:12
There are people who give their all when it comes to love and there are others who reserve some love for themselves. And both are okay because you can’t give what you don’t have.
If you are still capable of loving even if you’re tired, you’ll eventually burn out.
Which is why God wants us to take care of ourselves and not wear ourselves out of love. Since love is not an obligation nor something that should make you tired, grumpy, hopeless or sad.
For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Galatians 5:14
It doesn’t mean that you’ll be selfish or you’re one.
In fact, God commanded us to love each other with the kind of love that he showed us. We know how to love because of him.
I pray that your love will overflow more and more and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ[a]—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.
-Philippians 1:9-11
Love should constantly overflow and empower you and the people that you love. No matter what’s the circumstances nor feelings that you are experiencing. It should bring out the best of you and bring you closer to God. If there are hard times and trials. The love should strengthen you both.
We love because he first loved us.
-1 John 4:19
There is someone out there who truly loves you and it’s none other than Jesus. Yes, he gave up his life for you and even went through sufferings for you. That’s how much he loves you. He did all of these for your salvation and your heart.
Now the important question is are you willing to lose yourself to follow him?
Do you love Jesus that much to lose yourself for his will?
Which means to surrender your vices, dreams, failures, fears, and plans to him?
Not out of obligation but out of obedience and genuine love. Not because what you can get in having a relationship with him like blessings, grace or salvation. But again out of pure and burning desire to know him.
In every kind of relationships, we make sacrifices for our loved ones. It’s normal for us to be afraid if we ever crossed the line. Same like what Jesus has done for us, he did it nevertheless. If we think that we lost ourselves somewhere along the many years, If we feel tired of constantly giving everything. Remember having a personal relationship with God is different from any kinds of relationships you have right now.
You don’t have to be afraid if you’ll lose everything even yourself in this kind of relationship. With God, you can rest in his love. He’ll redeem what you have lost and bring it back ten thousand times. He loves you and wants the best for you.
God will restore you and make you a better version of yourself.
All this also comes from the Lord Almighty,
whose plan is wonderful,
whose wisdom is magnificent
-Isaiah 28:29
Are you ready for the cost and the sacrifices you’ll do for him?
Are you willing to open your heart to him?
even if you’re broken and scarred.
If you are then you can start by losing yourself and following Jesus!
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
-Matthew 16:24-26
