blue eyes. A rather clever trick is to take a good look at the girl’s mother. This mature-looking lady could be the exact photograph of the way her daughter will look a score of years hence. Or, look at the boy friend’s dad. Rather bald and stout? Well, this could be your present slim and dashing young man when you’ve been married some time. If your love doesn’t get too much of a shock from this, well, maybe it’s true love after all. The “ Is This Really Love?” Test There’s so much synthetic love. How can one be really sure? Well, real love, you know, comes from God (1 John 4 :7 ) and follows His divinely established (1 Corinthians 13:4-6) pattern. Here are four tests which may help. Do you think a great deal about him? Is a goodly portion of your time taken up with thoughts about her? Not in a silly or insipid manner. But does the thought of his approval spur you on to greater achievements? When questions arise do you quite naturally consider her reaction, too? Whatever you’re doing, is he never very far from your thoughts? Well, this could be a hopeful sign that it’s truly love. Are your happiest hours spent in her presence? Do you delight just to be near him? Does the day seem in complete unless you’ve shared part of it with her? Not that you must rush off and go somewhere together. Not that you must be accomplishing some thing. But just to do what you do— together. And when you’re together, do you seem to think alike? Perhaps you’ll not agree in every last thing. But basically you see things like he does. Yes, this could be love. Do you want to bring your sweet heart gifts? True love always does that (John 3:16). It’s a fundamental characteristic. You really can’t ever truly love without bestowing gifts. In your case, is it so? If you’re call ing on her, do you think in terms of a corsage or candy? When he comes to call, do you quite naturally plan to have something just for him? Is she abundantly worthy of the full devo tion of your heart? Do you think of him as surely deserving the loving labor of your hands? This certainly looks like love. And the future? As you peer into the years ahead, do you quite natur ally think in terms of the future with him? If there’s to be a vine-covered cottage, do you always see her stand
ing in the doorway? Tucked away in your plans is there a vision of a chubby baby boy that looks just like him? Do you plan big things in the future in order that first you might win her loving appreciation ? If so, it can’t be anything else but true, true love. And, Are You Lovable? The cultivation of true love is a delicate process. It must be nourished on the milk of human kindness, and it flourishes on the common courtesies of life. True love goes to the lov able. A basic necessity, of course, is to keep one’s self clean, neat and well- groomed. In this day of the abun dance of soap and the availability of beauty advice, there’s no excuse for slovenliness. Yet, some are notoriously careless. And some girls and fellows feel they must exemplify the blasé nonchalance of the age by dressing in slouchy clothing. But this makes for slouchy love, too. Dressing taste fully and modestly will do much for the furtherance of love’s growth. And what about your disposition? Do you earnestly try to maintain a cheerful attitude on life? Or are you a pessimist of the first water ? Do you spread joy or gloom? Don’t blame your pessimism on the day in which you live. It’s quite possible to culti vate a happy outlook. And certainly, this is better ground on which to grow true love. What about courtesy? That’s old fashioned? That went out with the horse and buggy? Not on your life. Courtesy is no more out of date than eating or sleeping. Honestly now, are you lovingly considerate of your mother ? Do you open the car door for your date? Do you show affection for your brothers and sisters ? Believe me, these are the things which go to make a greatly desirable person. That per son could be you. Are you interested in things ? Many things? Do you take an active part in the affairs of others, of your school, or church? Can you be counted on to do your part? Do you try to see the other fellow’s viewpoint ? These things make for strength of character and breadth of interest. In short, they make you attractive to others. And are you truly feminine? Or masculine ? He men want feminine girls and feminine girls want mascu line men. Don’t affect the habits or clothing of the opposite sex and ex pect to be desirable to them. You just can’t be. So watch this carefully. (Available in booklet form.) T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
8 :44) is confusion confounded and becomes confusion compounded. God’s curse is upon it. Rivers of tears, acres of heartaches and wasted years tell the tragic story of those who disregarded God’s strict admonition here. Talk with any Chris tian leader. He will tell of the sad cases which have come under his ob servation. Only bitter disillusionment and utter anguish follow the disre gard of God’s wise counsel (2 Cor. 6:17,18) here. Love will not bridge the gulf nor does time heal the error. This is love’s number one safety prin ciple. Accept it gladly, and live in its protection. Fortunately there is no truth to the idea of “ falling in love.” Oh, you could fall into puppy love, or you might fall into infatuation. But you must grow into love. Therefore, suffi cient time should be taken to think, consider and pray. There is no valid objection to the proved fact that it’s best for persons to marry within their own religious affiliation. Protestants should marry Protestants. Catholics should marry Catholics. You see, the theology and the ideology of these systems is so different. Protestantism is largely a system which emphasizes free grace as a means of salvation. Catholicism is a merit system, emphasizing the necessity of good works for Heaven. These two diverse teachings are far from unimportant. They divide the whole world as well as families. The family which comes from such a di verse union will be sadly torn asun der. How can there be unity and har mony with the parents pulling in op posite directions? The children are cast adrift on the sea of religious uncertainty from the very start. The proper age to become engaged ? This is truly a difficult question to satisfactorily answer, for there are outstanding examples each way. But the intensely romantic years of eight een to twenty do much to settle and to prepare young people for a more sure acceptance of responsibilities that are bound to come. Then, the degree of consecration. Some very noble and unselfish aims in life have been lost forever because the truly dedicated person married an unsurrendered partner. Too many lives have failed to amount to any thing for God simply because one. member to the marriage wouldn’t give up worldly pursuits and pleas ures, and dragged the other down. Is he the right one ? Is this girl the one I should marry? Don’t be too de ceived by dimples, wavy hair or pretty Page Twenty
Made with FlippingBook HTML5