We all have the capacity to love. Not just the capacity, but the need to love and to be loved. It is at the heart of what it means to be human. The heart of humanity is designed for love. It cannot function properly without it. Yet, to love at all is risky. When we offer our hearts to something or someone, we also accept the inevitability of loss. There is no greater pain in life than a broken heart. To open our hearts to anything is to open ourselves to the possibility of pain. The only way to properly avoid pain is to protect the heart from the dangers of love.
But can we afford that option?
To refuse to love is to sentence the heart to an early grave. Protection from pain takes a huge toll on the heart. Bitterness sets in and the heart becomes a stone incapable of growth, desire, pleasure and love. The truth remains we all have love to offer. The question is will we choose to risk it?
“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” 1 Cor. 13:13 NLT
