"I Love You Too"

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Everything has lead up to this point and now it is time. The leading character utters those words we've waited all season to hear.... "I love you" they say. The object of affection turns and hesitates (cue dramatic music). The milliseconds seem like minutes until finally it is uttered, "I love you too." (music swells, lovers kiss, exit to credits)

Ah, that romantic tension, all the waiting and wondering and worrying if this person really loves them or are they just stringing them along, because of course as we all know, if they are in love than all of their lives together will be happily ever after...but that's an entirely different subject.

What if the person had never said "I love you" would the other one had offered an "I love you" first?

Does the responder love less than the initiator because they love them "too" and not just simply "I love you"?

Does an "I love you too" mean that my love is based on the condition that you love me and then I love you too. If I say "I love you" does that mean I love you no matter if you do or do not love me "too"?

I'm reading Gary Chapman's book The Five Love Languages of God in which he gives examples of how God speaks each of the love languages: words of affirmation, quality time, gifts, acts of service and physical touch. So in whatever "love language" we as individuals primarily receive and show love, God speaks our language.

I was journaling about a particular way God had spoken my love language, happy that I'd actually recognized this gift of His, as opposed to my typical way of living in which I often miss God's hand in my life, and I ended my journal entry with "I love you too."

God said first "I love you Becky" and I responded "I love you too."

Does that make my love less than God's?
If He had not offered love would I have loved Him first?

John answers that question in I John 4: 10 "This is real love, not that we loved Him but that He first loved us and sent his Son to be the payment for our sins."

"I love you too" because God loves me first, and my love in no way compares to the unconditional unending love that He showers on me, this day and for the rest of the days of my life. I could never offer a love that equals how God loves me. In His love, He sent His only Son to be viciously murdered to take away my sin and I in return hesitate to speak his name in witness, or follow his commands when they seem too difficult. My love is hesitant and failing and sporadic, the poorest of "I love you too."

My response doesn't change His love: if I am the greatest of missionaries or the quietest of all the redeemed, if I spend my life in great service or hide my gifts in darkness, if I'm victorious in walking by faith or if I continue to stumble along the way, His words still stay the same. God loves me and because he does I desire to offer back to him " I love you too."

Comments

chrisd said…
Lovely, lovely post, Becky!

Sorry I haven't been around (summer, you know)

Hugs and see you soon!
August 2, 2007 at 6:48 PM
MargieM said…
and I love you too, Becky, because you loved me enough first to reach out to my sad soul and show me that there is Hope and Love always. And you continue to remind me to turn it all over to the One who said I love you first, because, after all, He loved me first and before, and now, and will always love me. Yikes, why don't I remember that more often???!!!
August 6, 2007 at 8:44 PM
Jennifer said…
Can't say just how much I love you. you mean so much to me. I missed this entry and just found it tonight 10/18/07. Really great guestions. I am going to start saying it first, I say I love you too alot more than I say I love you. Thanks for that thought.
October 18, 2007 at 10:16 PM
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