Love, truly defined.

Love. It could possibly be the most used word in the English language. As humans, we have perceived it as emotion, choice, preference, and attribute it to something that ‘just happens’. We have limited it to something we feel to certain limited groups of people, particularly people we like or people we ‘feel’ a connection with.

What does the bible say about it?

My bible lists 2 pages worth of verses in the bible that contain the word love. One of the most powerful verses and possibly the most well known verse of the bible says that, for God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whosoever believes in Him will have eternal life (John 3:16) Powerful right? The same book says, “Greater love has no one than this than a man who laid down his life for his friends.” This reveals to me that one, love is a sacrificial choice that is not dependent on any other thing or person and two, Jesus is the best and only example of perfect love as He showed through His ministry and through His dying on the cross for our sins.

This love speaks of freedom of action regardless of the other’s response. Examining 1 Corinthians 13 shows a contrast between the things that love is and the things that love isn’t. Love isn’t envious, boastful, proud, self-seeking, easily angered, bears grudges, delighting in evil. Love is patient, kind, always protects, hopes and perseveres and will never fail. Reading that is very striking to an individual, and this type of love is not just applicable to romantic love. This is the type of love that we are called to offer to anybody and everybody. Yes, you read that right. This is the true definition of love. That means our worldly definitions of love are, if not, significantly lacking or not even in the same vicinity as biblical love. Love is not emotions; it is not chemistry or compatibility; it is not conditional, it is not temporary and it does not give up. We came up with the following things that it should be.

1. Love is a decision or choice that people make. Making that choice with Christ as the foundation makes it very strong. (Christ is the solid rock, all other ground is sinking sand.)

2. Love is action. Love is everyday action. It doesn’t quit or give up but rather perseveres.

3. Love is independent of human requirements. Biblical love means that personality, hobbies, political party, career choices, status or educational attainment, and age is not the things that make love happen. Relying on those makes the love conditional and could lead to us being self-seeking.

4. Love is forgiving. Face it, we will have to face different types of people in life. We will have minor hurts and major heartbreaks. Let them in, lead them to Christ and have that freedom from the past in Him. Forgiveness is something that forgiven people understand the most; as Christians, we must strive to understand that. We accept the gift, but we must also treasure it. Treasuring the gift of forgiveness means being ready to give that to other people as well, regardless of receiving an apology or not.

5. Love is made perfect in Christ. As humans, there will always be a way by which we are lacking in response. In Christ, however, our hope is firm because he forgives us and renews our hearts and gives us a new one, one that has a desire to glorify Him and reach out to people.

6. Love is not exclusive. Before this gets misquoted as a way to bypass respect in relationships and marriage (stop that, that is not what I mean so read on). Love is not exclusive to people we like, but by all means love those people too! Love is something you share to anybody and everybody, and yes even those ‘difficult’ or ‘unlovable’ people. I think one of the things that is hardest to do is really be nice to people who don’t seem to deserve it, but a good reminder is that you don’t deserve it either, but God loves you enough to send His son for you and also the other people in this world. He has no favorites, he loved both the older son and the prodigal.

7. Love is something you are responsible for, yes that’s right, you. Love is something a person decides to do and give to somebody else, regardless of their choices and response. This means even if they are mean to you or even if they do not change. The world says that the saddest thing is unrequited love because love is ‘wasted’. That’s baloney! Christ hung on the cross while some people obviously did not love him back, and that is no waste at all. That is love that is beautiful, and I am blessed to know of that love. :)

Verses: 1 Corinthians 13, Matthew 22: 34-40, 1 John 4:7-21

The truth is God loves you. He sent Jesus Christ to die for your sins and the sins of the whole world. That was His perfect love and in it, we will have no fear but only hope. The important question is, What is your response to His love? Think about it, it is of utmost importance. God bless you, readers!

“We love because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19