A Sign of True Love By Gregory Baker

There is perhaps nothing more evidently a sign of love than when a person is willing to buy into the moral character and lifestyle of another.
Think of how pleased a father will be if his son buys into his philosophy of life and chooses to adopt his father's moral principles in life. I can't think of anything, as a father, that would be more gratifying as a child deciding to follow in my footsteps.
Naturally, that isn't expected or pushed, but if a child says, when they are close to adulthood, "I want to be just like dad" that would probably be a sign of love that is greater than anything else I can imagine.
The Bible expresses this concept in several different ways. It speaks of laying down your life for another, and Jesus said that if we love Him, then we would keep His commandments. This isn't an issue of obedience to express love, but rather a demonstration of a person who has bought into the teachings and lifestyle because of love.
I do things for my God, not because I have to, but because I get to. When my wife does things like that for me, when she buys into my vision of the family and our future, is there a more significant sign of true love? I doubt it. When two people so love each other that they alter their own lifestyle, beliefs, and even values to be more in line with the person they love, they have a sure sign of true love.
What greater gift could a person give than to buy into another person's conception and perception on life? To say that you want to be just like another person is an immensely powerful statement of love. This is especially true in a generation that seeks to have fewer ties to people and wishes to be self-made.
I've followed and then blazed beyond the path that my own father walked. And my father couldn't be more pleased. He has both of his sons sharing his value system, his beliefs in God, and his concept of good character. Yes, both my brother and I have bought into my father and mother's lifestyle. And my parents couldn't be more pleased and loved.
If you have someone who is willing to do that for you, know that you have something very special, a sign of true love that is hardly surpassed by any other indicator. What's more, if you are willing to do this for someone else, know that you have found someone that you truly love.