MUCH 'LIKE' IS NOT LOVE!

MUCH ‘LIKE’ IS NOT LOVE!

LOVE – PART I

BY DR. MERVYN ABREO

          LIKE and LOVE are radically two different emotional states!

          God said: love your enemies.

          He never said anything about liking them! 

                                                     

          There is a difference between ‘loving’ and ‘liking’ someone.

          ‘Liking’ a person more and more does not necessarily lead to ‘love’. And conversely, you can love someone without liking anything about him or her.

          Loving your enemies: This helps while attempting to love even your most hated enemy, while circumventing the impossible task of trying to like the person.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ‘LOVE’ AND ‘LIKE’:

          This was a scene from a movie. A young man approached his future father-in-law and asked him: “Sir, I would like to have permission to marry your daughter.” Their romance was known to all in the community.

          The girl’s father asks the young man, “Do you like my daughter?”

          “Like her?!” exclaims the lad. “Why, I love her! I’m crazy about her.” And goes on to say, “I am ready to swim the seven seas for her, climb the highest mountain or even sacrifice my life for her!”

          “I am sure that you truly love her, and will do all that you said, and even more. But I still ask you: Do you like her?

          The wise father-in-law knew that this young man had fallen in love with his daughter. But he also knew that it would take a lot of ‘like’ to sustain their marriage in the ensuing years.

          ‘Like’ is usually controlled by emotion. Using your act of will, you will be able to love everyone, especially your enemies. And as you practice this more and more, you will gradually become more and more like the Lord!

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Dear friend,

          I look forward to getting your feedback. Do write in to me at:

                                        drmervynabreo@gmail.com

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