What is love? This pending question has tried to be answered by Jane Austin writing her romantic novels, Beethoven composing his passionate music, and Thomas Cole painting his affectionate portraits. One of the greatest desires of mankind is to love and have their feelings reciprocated. How can we define this pleasurable, captivating, feeling?
Today, people casually use the word "love" for almost everything; we can love our parents and love onion rings. Although we feel for our parents much differently than we do food, we use the same phrase to define our affection toward both. The world's definition of love is a lifeless, bleak thing. According to our mislead culture, love can be understood as either sinful lust or just strong admiration for another person. God's concept of love is completely different than what our world thinks. Love is a powerful action, whereas it is usually misused to defining a mere feeling. If love is a verb, how exactly do we act?
In 1 John, its says that "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." It is impossible to love without personally knowing and serving God. Those outside of Christ cannot truly love one another. In essence, God is love, and those who do not follow Christ cannot truly love.
"If you love Me, keep My commandments." - John 14:5
Obedience and love are completely inseparable. One of the ways we express our love is through our obedience. We love our parents by obeying them, just like we love God by keeping his Holy commandments laid out in Scripture.
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up..." - 1 Corinthians 13:4
Love willingly endures trials and hardships. Long suffering can be better defined as patience. True love holds fast and abides for a long period of time. Our love must be lasting and permanent. Since God Himself is love, we should always be looking to Him to see how this action portrayed. God shows patience by still accepting us after we have failed. We are to love others by forgiving them even when they have wronged us.
Love is kind. We love others by showing them mercy and grace. Jesus flawlessly demonstrated this by helping those in need and not slandering them. He sacrificially loved the people by spending His time with them, gently teaching them, and miraculously healing them.
Love does not envy. Jealousy usually leads to covetousness and - when it gets out of hand - hatred. We love other people by rejoicing for them when they are happy, and mourning with them when they are hurting. If we observe someone who has triumphed in a certain situation, we must love them by being genuinely glad for them and not putting on a hidden attitude of jealously.
Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up, In order to truly love, we have to destroy our pride. As you may have seen countless times from history, pride destroys rulers, countries, and the lives of ordinary people. Love is accomplished by the complete humbling of oneself. When Jesus came to Earth, He did not come as a "big-wig" or "Mr.-goody-two-shoes". In fact, Jesus was born in a stable and executed his earthly ministry as a regular man (note that Jesus was fully God and fully man) even though He had access to complete power. We have no room to be puffed up and love and the same time. If we want to be great in God's Kingdom, we must humble ourselves and learn to be the servant's of all. Love is humble!
If we lack any of these above qualities, and I exhort myself above anyone, we do not truly love. Ask God to examine your heart and give you a spirit of true love for others :) Have a blessed day, my dear readers!
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I am thankful that you love Mia
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