Romans 12:9 “Let love be genuine.”
It began as a typical car ride home from my oldest daughter’s middle school.
“Mom, I like this song. Do you?” Taylor Swift belted one of her latest hits as we drove the 10 minutes home. It was a catchy tune with a fun beat. I remember a day when I could simply listen to a song, but as the mom of a daughter bordering on her teenage years, my discerning ears perked up at one of the opening lines: “Love’s a game, wanna play?”
I didn’t want to miss this moment to talk to her about a subject so often misconstrued and misrepresented in our culture. Love. The kind of love I know she may not hear often in the halls of her middle school, in movies or pop music. The kind of love we all so desperately need but look for in all the wrong places.
In the Bible, Romans 12:9 directs us: “Let love be genuine.” At first glance the four words are oversimplified and too commanding, but something about that word “genuine” begs for a deeper understanding. It goes beyond an emotion and requires something from the giver: selflessness. A genuine love, I explained to her in words I hoped she absorbed, always thinks of the other person’s needs first. A genuine or sincere love seeks to understand in the face of indifference. It looks for the light of hope in dark places. It looks for potential in others. It speaks truth, even when it hurts. With a heavy sigh I concluded that genuine love is anything but a game. When we experience it for ourselves, we can’t help but want to give it away.
We turned the corner toward home and our conversation came to a close. I know genuine love isn’t a topic to simply learn about, but one learned from experience and best practiced firsthand. It’s eye contact and a smile with a stranger, because they’re important too. It’s looking into the eyes of a screaming child and holding to an important “no” when a “yes” would be so much easier. It’s holding a friend and praying through tears of grief. It’s a late night couch conversation with an overworked spouse when you’d rather be asleep. It’s giving until it hurts. It’s making the hard choice to love in the face of hate.
For the record, I think Taylor Swift’s music is fun. However, I want my kids to know the true and lasting joy that comes from giving and receiving genuine love. It’s better than any game they could ever hope to play.
Faith & Family writer Jena Meyerpeter loves unexpected conversations in ordinary places.