Later, their emotional jargon reunited with my pondering logic. In other words... it got me to thinking. Is there a difference between loving someone or something and being "in" love with someone or something? I mean, is it possible to have varying degrees of emotion for a person or thing? We've all heard someone say something like, "I love them... but I'm not 'in' love with them." The love that they have for the person has somehow faded to a lesser quality.
It seems to me that love is the most interesting of all human emotions. Our state of mind can dictate our level of love to someone or something... and can change without notice. Therefore, if being "in" love is a desirable condition of the heart, it seems worth protecting. It can slip away without warning.
The word "in" is the complicated mechanism of this thought of love. You see, the emotion of love is simple as long as it doesn't have varying degrees. But once the word "in" is introduced... love becomes a difficult thing. In other words, the word "love" can be used to describe our emotion to many things in our lives. In the same breath a person can say, "I love my spouse" and "I love tacos." While both may be true, surely there is a difference between the way we love our spouse and fast food. So, what is the difference?
The difference between "love" and "In-love" is the position that the object of our love puts us in. You see, the word "in" describes a position or placement. In other words, when I express love to my wife I am expressing her position or placement within my heart. So, when I am "in" love with someone or something, they become the focus of the word love. When I think of love, I think of them. When I hear others speak of love, I think of them. This is being "in" love.
So, you may be asking, "How do I know if I love or am 'in' love?" The answer is fairly simple: do you love to love that person? In other words, is it hard work to love that person... or does it come natural? Being "in" love is a position of ease. It's not difficult to love the one your are "in" love with. In fact, you love to love that person.
If loving a person or thing is difficult, you might want to check their placement in your heart. Pray and seek counsel. If the state of your love for them doesn't change, you could find yourself "out" of love completely.
Pastor Mike Carmody
