When love disappoints you.

Have you ever loved someone? I'm not talking about a romantic type of love specifically, however, that could apply to. Just an honest to goodness love for someone. How do you treat them? You pour everything you have into that person, your time, your talents, possessions, emotions, etc. You also spend time in prayer for them. What happens then, when you find out that your love means nothing to them, or in the least, their love in return does not match what you give them?

I think that it is safe to say that most anyone that has spent some time in the Ministry has experienced this. Even outside of the ministry, young people experience this in "crushes" or even steady relationships that end up sour. When it happens to you, you know how you feel, it hurts. That is a very real pain, you wonder why in the world someone can mean so much to you and they never even seem to respond to it. What do you do? Obviously, you don't want to live with that pain all your life, but for this moment, it seems like it's never going to go away. Let's take some time to notice some things:

1. You started like God started. 1Jn 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

Just like God, you started to love someone, even when there was no return or maybe even a realization that you loved that person.

2. The same thing has happened to God. Isa 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

And not only has it happened to God, but is happening to Him about 7 billion times right now. No matter how hard you try, you cannot love God as much as He loves you. Don't you think sometimes God craves for that sweet and strong relationship?

3. True love continues through the hurt. Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

When Jesus died for us, we had already rejected Him. We need to learn to continue in our love, even when we are hurt.

4. There is One that will never dissapoint you. He will always love you more than you love Him. 1Jn 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

Don't get bitter when that one you love fails to return that love, instead, continue to show that love and trust the One that will always love you more. What a gross understatement to say, "God loves you." Yet, it is so true.