Love is a language of the heart. It is so often portrayed through expressions of emotion and feeling that rational thinking is rarely mentioned in the same sentence. However, to get right to the heart of the issue, emotions often cloud understanding, obscuring what is or isn't love. Many important considerations are treated lightly or ignored.
We are three-part beings, coming from separate spheres. Our spirit is the offspring of God. Through the spirit we commune with His Spirit. Our body comes from earthly parents and experiences life through the senses. The unity of body and spirit is the soul of man.
Much of our learning is intellectual. We absorb facts and experiences. What we learn through emotions and feelings is no less important. These two modes of understanding are based in the mind and heart. But enlightened discernment comes from neither thought nor feelings alone. Only when we turn our understanding to God can we understand things that are spiritual.
We don't get to know God's love through empirical senses, by sight or sound. But Paul says in I Corinthians 2:9 that it isn't through the heart either. Things of the spirit can only be understood spiritually.
What does this have to do with love relationships?
The mind and heart are integral to love. Love isn't just a feeling. If it were, it would be a physical/emotional experience manifest merely between two physical bodies. And if it were merely intellectual, love could exist in the physical absence of lovers. I've painted both sides in extreme colors, because real love is not one or the other, but a combination of mind, heart and spirit.
We experience love through senses, emotions, feelings and thoughts and through a spiritual connection. All of these aspects are part of a complete experience. Take one or two away, and you're left with something less than real love. It's quite common that people who are "in love" only on physical and emotional levels, don't have the depth of compassion, conviction and trust to last a lifetime. All by itself, the heart is a fair-weather companion.
In Hopelessly Devoted, Olivia Newton John sang, "My head is saying, Fool, forget him.' My heart is saying, 'Don't let go." Conflicting messages should not be disregarded. In looking for a lifetime companion to marry, we need to heed every message from the head, heart and spirit, while suppressing the would-be overriding hormonal desires.
In marriage, husband and wife no longer need to wonder if they are in love. But they have a greater challenge: to keep the combination of mind, heart and spirit in harmony. Husbands and wives need to nurture all aspects of the soul. They give attention to one another's physical, emotional and spiritual needs. Neglect in any area creates an unbalanced marriage.
Love is an act of faith. It can be nurtured by looking to The Source.
We are three-part beings, coming from separate spheres. Our spirit is the offspring of God. Through the spirit we commune with His Spirit. Our body comes from earthly parents and experiences life through the senses. The unity of body and spirit is the soul of man.
Much of our learning is intellectual. We absorb facts and experiences. What we learn through emotions and feelings is no less important. These two modes of understanding are based in the mind and heart. But enlightened discernment comes from neither thought nor feelings alone. Only when we turn our understanding to God can we understand things that are spiritual.
We don't get to know God's love through empirical senses, by sight or sound. But Paul says in I Corinthians 2:9 that it isn't through the heart either. Things of the spirit can only be understood spiritually.
What does this have to do with love relationships?
The mind and heart are integral to love. Love isn't just a feeling. If it were, it would be a physical/emotional experience manifest merely between two physical bodies. And if it were merely intellectual, love could exist in the physical absence of lovers. I've painted both sides in extreme colors, because real love is not one or the other, but a combination of mind, heart and spirit.
We experience love through senses, emotions, feelings and thoughts and through a spiritual connection. All of these aspects are part of a complete experience. Take one or two away, and you're left with something less than real love. It's quite common that people who are "in love" only on physical and emotional levels, don't have the depth of compassion, conviction and trust to last a lifetime. All by itself, the heart is a fair-weather companion.
In Hopelessly Devoted, Olivia Newton John sang, "My head is saying, Fool, forget him.' My heart is saying, 'Don't let go." Conflicting messages should not be disregarded. In looking for a lifetime companion to marry, we need to heed every message from the head, heart and spirit, while suppressing the would-be overriding hormonal desires.
In marriage, husband and wife no longer need to wonder if they are in love. But they have a greater challenge: to keep the combination of mind, heart and spirit in harmony. Husbands and wives need to nurture all aspects of the soul. They give attention to one another's physical, emotional and spiritual needs. Neglect in any area creates an unbalanced marriage.
Love is an act of faith. It can be nurtured by looking to The Source.
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