Remember the Tina Turner song, What’s Love Got to To With It? The song is about aspects of what we commonly call love. The lyrics go on to say, “Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?” Is the song describing love or is it lyrically talking about infatuation and/or pleasure seeking?
So, what is the difference between pleasure and love? Pleasure is always derived from something outside of you, but love arises from within. Real love will never make you suffer. Love is your essence and you cannot lose it. Love, joy, and peace are deep states of Being. As such they have no opposite. Whereas, every pleasure or emotional high contains within itself the seed of pain. As Eckhart Tolle wrote in The Power of Now, “What is often referred to as love may be pleasurable and exciting for a while, but is an addictive clinging and extremely needy condition that can turn into its opposite at the flick of a switch. Many love relationships, after the initial euphoria has passed, actually oscillate between love and hate, attraction and attack.” This is because whenever we seek to find love or joy from things or persons outside of ourselves we miss the mark. To truly love another we must first truly love ourselves. We cannot give to another what we do not have for ourselves. I believe the best definition of love was written by the Apostle Paul:
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient. Love is kind.
It does not envy. It does not boast.
It is not proud. It does not dishonor others.
It is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered.
It keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil, But rejoices with truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.
For now, Earlynn’s just sayin’, “Love is always the answer.”
