Love Defined

           Love! It is the most misused, underused word in the English language. It is misused in that we do not understand it and underused in that we have put a limit on it. Over time, culture has shoved this ginormously huge complex noun-verb thingy into a box. (Here we are, back in the world’s box again).  They have tried to simplify it by taking away its responsibilities through revising its origin and meaning. We are told to only say it if we truly mean it. Well yes, we should definitely always tell the truth. That is actually part of love.  However, it seems as though we are only to use this word when speaking to family members, friends or, more commonly, when dating a person. So is this wrong or is this the right usage of this word? Let’s take a look at scripture: (Read 1 John 4:7-20. The scripture can be found at the end and the main focus is on verses 7, 8, & 20). We can see there that we, as a whole, do not understand what love is. To use the word properly, we need to know where it originates and what it is. When we start to understand that, we then need to know HOW to love.

Origin

God created love, He is love. In verse 8, it says “God is Love.” God always was and always is and so was and is love.

Love Defined

Love (man’s definition): 1-A profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.

 2- a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affections, as for a parent, child, or friend.

        Are these bad definitions? YES! Not because they are wrong, but because they are only partial. These do not fully define love because it leaves out the responsibility. Here is the world again taking something so immaculate and infinite, trying to wrap their brains around it. They just can’t do it with earthly logic so they reign it in to fit within our measurable grasp and try to gain understanding. By doing that, we assume that love has a limit. If they would just read 1 Corinthians 13, they may could begin to understand that it is a heck of a lot more than just a feeling. It is complex and hard work, but oh my goodness is it more amazing and beautiful than just a feeling of affection for a few people. Let’s look at the God inspired definition:

Love IS long suffering,
Love IS kind,
Love does NOT envy,
Love does NOT boast, it is NOT proud.
Love does NOT dishonor others, it is NOT self-seeking,
Love IS slow to anger, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does NOT delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.
Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes,
Love ENDURES all things.
Love NEVER fails…..

So how do we love?

We cannot love without loving God first. How do we love him if we don’t know how to love? Is this one of those ‘which came first, the chicken or the egg’ situations. NO! In 1 John 4:19 it says, “We love him, because He first loved us.” When we desire God and give ourselves to him, he fills us with his love and that love reaches out to all others. As we mature in our relationship with God, we start learning that responsibility that comes with love. We learn to be patient, because love is and God is love. We learn to keep no record of wrong, because that is love and God is love. LOVE ENDURES ALL THINGS, LOVE NEVER FAILS.

If we put love into the world’s box, we cannot love everyone. Those who do us wrong are immediately scratched from our love list. We can not possibly love a stranger because there is no attachment to them. When love becomes only a feeling, we forget to show love and it then becomes selfish. We are missing out on so much love by living with the world’s limits on love. If we just allow God to love through us, we can learn to love our enemy and forgive them, which brings us peace. We can learn to love everyone because we begin to understand that people are in a desperate need of knowing God even if they don’t know that need exists themselves.  The more we love, the more love we have to give.

Let’s end with this thought, 1 John 4:8, “He that does not love does NOT KNOW GOD.” Ouch! As we go along our little journey of life, it is wise to learn how to love. We can practice daily. Take one portion of what love is and practice. (Ex: Today I will be patient, Today, I will bear no record of wrongdoings, AKA: forgive and forget). Remember this with each new situation that arises: Proverbs 10:12 “Hatred stirreth up strife, but love covereth all sins.”

Scripture:

1 John 4:7-20

⁷ Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

⁸ He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

⁹ In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

¹⁰ Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

¹¹ Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

¹² No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

¹³ Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

¹⁴ And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

¹⁵ Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

¹⁶ And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

¹⁷ Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

¹⁸ There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
¹⁹ We love him, because he first loved us.

²⁰ If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

1 Corinthians 13:4-13

⁴ Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
⁸ Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
¹⁰ But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
¹² For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
¹³ And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.