Whatever we love has control over us. Love means giving up some control of ourselves to something or someone. The greater the love, the greater the control that we allow what, or who, we love to have over us.
We have heard horror stories about the effects of drugs on people. It is because some people love drugs uncontrollably. Some addicts grow to love narcotics so much that they will give up careers, cash, families, jobs, homes, and possessions to get more of the drugs they love.
Some of us love money. Some are so addicted to money that they will run roughshod over others to get more money. Those addicted to money, like those addicted to drugs, will give up families and possessions to get more money.
A specialized form of loving money is found in those who are addicted to taxes. Those addicts do not mind enslaving their neighbors to get money from them.
We are familiar with those who love lots of things too much. When thinking about what we should confess to a discerning confessor, we will bad things or actions that we love too much. We can find out what such things are by examining what we have and do that we enjoy talking about.
Those who are blessed among us find a great love for God. When that love enters into our life, we tend to let God be in control. The more fully a person allows God to control them, as a Trappist Monk or a Cloistered Sister, the greater their love for God. Every time we do something pleasing, or refrain from doing something offensive, to God, we grow closer to Him, having given up a little more of our self to Him.
What love is is quantifiable. Some love, as for drugs, sex, or money, may be imagined as being preceded by a minus (-) sign, followed by some number that indicates how far we’ve fallen below zero.
Love for God and neighbor may be pictured as a number preceded by a (+) sign. The Trappist Monk and Cloistered Sister have very high numbers, but still orders of magnitude below God’s.
Our number changes as we get better or worse. If we’re below zero, we want to get there. If we are above zero, we want to get higher. We can only grow closer to God by believing, obeying, and loving Him and our neighbors.
One way to start is to realize that all love is quantifiable. Then, we understand that we can have more love in our life, and that God wants us to be so filled with love that our cups runneth over.
We should measure our own love every time we think about doing, or having done, something, because what love is is quantifiable. It is a measure of how much control we are willing to give. We should love God with everything we have.
