It is important to understand that love has a variety of connotations, and that what is love to one person is hate to another. Love can encompass a wide range of positive and negative emotional and psychological states, from the sublime personal virtue or religious devotion, the most intense interpersonal intimacy, to the simplest joy. Some connoted as love are anger, hatred, revenge, ambition, and even jealousy. To some people love is a purely intellectual concept, while to others love is very real and it motivates them to do extraordinary things.
Love is described in the Bible as God’s greatest gift. In fact, according to many scholars, it is the only good thing that He has created. According to Proverbs, love safeguards the soul. In fact, one of the reasons why love is so important is that without it, human relationships would be hollow and futile. Without love people can easily succumb to their darker emotions, such as jealousy, resentment, envy, fear, and self-pity.
People’s love for a spouse is often based on the feeling of completeness that comes with sharing a life together. The special relationship between a wife and a husband cannot be defined by any quantitative measure. Each person’s love for his or her spouse is rooted in deeply personal feelings that affect every part of the relationship. These feelings range from admiration, trust, compassion, and respect to an enduring commitment to each other.
When a couple is united in love, their sexual relationship is at its strongest. Intimacy is an essential component of marriage, and often the reason why people divorce. In fact, research has shown that physical intimacy and frequency of intimate partner are the leading causes of broken marriages. On the other hand, when a couple loses their sexual intimacy, they are more likely to experience marital dissatisfaction, which is also a cause for marital dissatisfaction. Marital dissatisfaction leads to emotional distance, which further exacerbates the breakdown of the relationship.
Love is not necessarily a physical expression; rather, love is a mental attitude, which depends upon a person’s perception of himself or herself. In essence, love is a state of mind. Physical love is only one aspect of the complete spectrum of human love. Emotional love is what gives a person satisfaction, whether it is expressed in a romantic relationship or in family relationships. While one can choose to express love in one form or another, it will always be stronger and more meaningful if it can be shared deeply and intimately.
A wise person once said that “you get what you make of yourself.” This quote reminds us that while love is a wonderful emotion, it takes work to manifest it fully. For the best results, make sure that you spend quality time together. Listen to each other, speak lovingly, and always give and accept your partner’s love unconditionally.