"Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned." (S.O.S. 8:7)
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Having to get a hold on something tangible, when it comes to love, is really not something that can be purchased with tangible things; it never really works, no matter how often you try or how much you might spend to try and make it happen. The word for, "Contemned," is not just about to despise, it goes a little bit further, as it means that you do not let it go unpunished. If you were to just despise something or someone, then you would stay clear of them or it, not paying it any mind; this speaks of something different, like, to trample with the feet.
For most of my life as a believer, it has been my honor and passion to share about the commitment to love in marriage. For anyone that might have followed this crazy blog from the beginning, you know my stance on what I believe that love is, in that it is not based upon feelings or emotions, but rather it is based upon commitment and unity. You become one: what hurts you, hurts me; what might get between us, is something that must not go unpunished! Love is more than just something you wear on your sleeve or place as a trophy once won; it must live and have life all of its own; you don't own it all by yourself, it is shared between you and the one that you love.
I know that might be hard to grasp, as it should be; because the tangible part about love, is that it is way stronger than anything else that you might own! As you might have imagined, this is a turning point in the Young Women's life; not because she has become more dedicated to her lover, but that her commitment to all that the relationship stands for is being defined and made sure. Such a commitment must be put in the place where it cannot be moved or taken back; it is fortified and beyond the reach of emotions or feelings; it is stronger and given more importance than life and living.
As you think about that, I will share a little bit from what Matthew Henry says on this: "Some give this sense of it: If a man would give all the substance of his house to Christ, as an equivalent instead of love, to excuse it, it would be contemned. He seeks not ours, but us, the heart, not the wealth. "If I give all my goods to feed the poor, and have not love, it is nothing, (1 Corinthians 13:1). Thus believers stand affected to Christ: the gifts of his providence cannot satisfy them without the assurances of his love."
With that, I am quick to acknowledge how important it is for us to understand the difference between His love for us and our love for Him: His love is never-ending, never-changing, and never gives up! We, on the other hand, are merely mortal and cannot contain the holiness that is found in God; we can only strive to compete, not that there is any way that is possible; but to win the race that is before us, in a way that shows we care to win at all, with our all, or with the little we got...
"Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering; or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that givieth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good." (Romans 12:6-9)
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