What is LOVE?

What is love really?

 

I think we have all loved or claimed to love. Husbands, wives, significant others, parents, children, our friends, etc. The list goes on and on. At one point in my life it was difficult for me to tell my sisters and friends that I love them, even though I truly did, it felt uncomfortable coming out of my mouth.  But even at that point, when I did not freely go around telling the people I love those three words, I really did not understand the meaning of love anyway to say it wholehearted without any reservations.

 

Love is so much more than the box we put it in…true love that is. It is powerful. The bible explains it best...

 

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

 

Let’s look at marriage, and although I am no expert in marriage, I know what the bible speaks to my heart. I will speak from a woman’s perspective because I am a woman. We claim to LOVE our husbands. Maybe you currently feel you have fallen out of love but at one point you did love him, right? So how does love, true love, end in divorce? Love “keeps no record of wrongs” so how is it we can go on and on about what our husbands have done to us in the past? Things that we have supposedly forgiven and let go. It is the record of wrongs that can give us the fuel we need for divorce. How many less divorces would there be if we did not keep that list in our minds of all the things our spouse has done to us, fueling our anger and resentment, but instead choose to LOVE them the right way.

This can also be true for family members. Maybe a family member of yours has really done some terrible things to you, to a point that you do not want to have anything to do with that person anymore. It happens. I have felt that way. But looking back at the scripture. Love is patient. I believe we should patiently wait (while praying) for the loved one to do what is right. Not what we feel is right, but what is really right. Love is not proud. Pride sometimes will prevent us from being the first person to apologize. Pride is so strong, trust me I know. But love is not proud and if you claim to love someone, do not let pride stop you from loving. Love always hopes, meaning it never gives up on a person but always hopes for the best in every situation.

 

Love is powerful. Think about how the biblical definition of love can change almost any negative situation between two people. “¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13

 

I hope you are having an awesome summer. Talk to you again soon.