What does it really mean to be ready? Ready is defined as “completely prepared or in fit condition for immediate action or use” (Dictionary.com). But,  are we ever truly ready for what’s in store for us? Especially when it comes to love? “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a ESV). Are we completely prepared to love in the way the bible describes? Love is more than marriage, more than  sex, more than being born into a family line, more than a feeling, love is a commitment, it is an action, love is compromise, it’s patience, love is…. 

Throughout our lives we search for love, whether it’s from our parents, family members, friends, or a significant other. We long for affection and long to give that affection to others. Some times we succeed, some times we fail. But it’s in those failed attempts, those attempts where we give love and are hurt in the process, where we see if we are truly ready to love. Each time love doesn’t go the way we expect it to, we set up boundaries of how to give love the next time. We may withhold or release our love in guarded stages towards the next person, based on how we feel its deserved. But is that truly being ready to love someone? Being ready is being completely prepared and being in fit condition for immediate action or use.  Ready mentions nothing about circumstances playing a factor in fact being ready has everything to do with preparation. The only way to become completely prepared or in fit condition especially when it comes to love is to LOVE. But not just love, love and learn, love and adjust, love and be open, love without having to receive love back.  When I think of this form of loving, three things come to mind: 1) God’s love for us, 2) our love for God, and 3) our love for ourselves. To me, before we can be ready to love someone else, we have to see what love looks like, and love not only God but love ourselves as well.

God showed us how to love when He first sent His only Son to die for us so we could have eternal life (John 3:16-17). His love was unconditional, it was genuine, it was sacrificial, it was a love we did not deserve. We messed up but God was ready to love us in spite of. He was completely prepared and was in fit condition for immediate action by sending Jesus Christ to offer us the FREE gift of Salvation. He then gave us a choice to love Him back. God didn’t say because I did this for you, you HAVE to love me back, he gave us an option.  Whether we choose to do so or not He still offered us love  without having to receive love back. And if we can’t or are not ready to love God after all He did and does, then how can we truly love ourselves because He created us, let alone be ready to love someone else? Now you may be saying,  “Chanelle, you’re being way too deep” but am I really?

I used to always hear the saying, “if you can’t submit to God how can you submit to a man or woman?” And now I get it because God gave us the ULTIMATE sacrifice, He gave us the ULTIMATE commitment, so if we can’t submit to a Perfect God how can we submit to an imperfect person? If we can’t or are not ready to love a Perfect God who gave us the ULTIMATE GIFT, then how can we be ready to love an imperfect person who may not give us anything or their gift is contingent on what we go for them? How can we love ourselves, if we can’t love The One who created us in “His own image” (Genesis 1:27)?

I truly do not have the answer to if you’re ready for love,  that is a personal journey of reflection you have to take but I can say the best example to follow in seeing if you are ready is the example of God and what He Declared love is in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a. Then focus on the love you have for God and yourself.  We weren’t ready for the type of love God gave but we can become ready to model that love to others around us.

Stay Encouraged & To God Be The Glory!

Chanelle A. Watson
Author, Chef, Entrepreneur
Inspirational/Motivational Speaker