I'm eighteen years old. I know what you're thinking. What do I know about love? Well, hear me out. The first reason being 1 Timothy 4:12, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity." (I added the Oxford comma, sorry Paul.) The second reason being, wisdom comes from the Lord, not necessarily age.

Anyone can fall in love.

All it really is is the combination of the chemicals testosterone, dopamine, and oxytocin. The difficulty comes with staying in love. The "love high" won't last forever; it will fade. So, what happens then?

Well, you either choose to love or you choose to leave. Couples in this day and age typically choose the latter. The divorce rate in America is between forty and fifty percent. Arranged marriages throughout the world only have a six percent divorce rate. Why is that?

I believe it's because in arranged marriages, they choose to love one another. Arranged marriages are formed on the basis of a common bond and the will to work together. Marriages that form from love are more likely to end in divorce because they fall out of love. Love is not a feeling. Love is an action.

Chemistry cannot be denied for the success of true love. A spark must occur, something to attract two beings to each other. My point is that the spark alone is not enough for the continuity of a healthy relationship.

So, what does it mean to choose to love? Maybe it feels like you've been trying to love, but it isn't translating well. I highly recommend Gary Chapman's book, "The Five Love Languages." In summary, everyone has a dominant love language, or how they feel loved.

My mom enjoys quality time, while my dad enjoys acts of service. You may be trying your hardest to love your significant other to no prevail, but maybe it's because you aren't speaking their love language.

My dad could mop the entire house and wash all the laundry, but he'd be missing the mark because my mother's love language is quality time. It's all about speaking your partner's love language.

I'm not a very affectionate person. It isn't in my nature to automatically desire to hold my boyfriend's hand or be close to him. But that is how he feels loved. So I have learned to become more affectionate because I choose to love him.

Shifting our perspective from love being something you simply fall in and out of, to love being a commitment of faithfulness, will change the longevity of relationships, and ultimately our enjoyment and fulfillment within them.