Love is such a cliché word in our culture that I think we have begun to forget what it actually means. We use "love" to describe how much we love a TV show, we use "love" to say how much we enjoy pizza, we use "love" in so many ways.
Synonyms for love include: tenderness, fondness, predilection, warmth, passion, or adoration. I think all those things describe love, but I also think there is more to it than that. I do not think these things even begin to define what love really is.
I think love in more than an emotion. It is an action. It is not defined by circumstances or human whim. It is not defined by what you can get out of someone, nor physical appearance. It isn't something you can fall in and out of. It isn't defined by sex or by how much someone flatters you. It is not something to be taken lightly. These are the things love is not. So, what IS love?
"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is about what you give. It is about when beauty, health, sexual indulgence, and all other material things fade, it is what endures. Why? Because your love for that person is not based on any temporary thing. Sure, you may love how someone looks, but would you still love them if they were to become sick or old and wrinkled? Yes, you may love how someone does something; maybe how they treat you or always do something a certain way, but would you be okay if they stopped doing that thing or no longer had the ability to do that thing?
Love is a serious matter, my friends! When we doubt what true love is, we need look no farther than Jesus Christ Himself. Only when we know Christ and His love can we effectively love others the way God intends us to!
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