"4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, 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. 8 Love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a NLT).One of the most misunderstood concepts in Scripture is the concept of love. If you were to ask ten random individuals to define love for you, their answers would range from infatuation (a mere feeling) to sexual relations (an actual physical act). A recent online survey included the following answers to the question, "what is love?"
- sharing common interests
- attraction to another person
- an emotional bond
- thinking of someone all the time
- having an amazing time with someone
- the desire to be desired
- when someone makes your heart beat faster
- compassion for another person
- when you want what's best for someone
- trusting someone else with your life
- Storgé (affection) - fondness through familiarity (as with family members or very close friends)
- Philia (friendship) - a strong bond between those who share common interests or activities
- Eros (being in love) - distinct from sexuality, an appreciation for the beloved without expectation
- Agapé (unconditional love) - love and caring that is not dependent upon any lovable qualities possessed by the beloved and regardless of circumstances
Love is patient...
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines 'patient' in the following ways:- bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint;
- manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain;
- not hasty or impetuous;
- steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity.
Love is kind...
Kindness also includes forbearance coupled with compassion. True love demonstrates compassion and is helpful in nature.Love does not envy...
To envy is to begrudge or resent someone for something they have that you don't have. True love never resents another person for any reason.Love does not boast...
True love has no need to 'toot its own horn,' or to call attention to the good it accomplishes.Love is not proud...
True love demonstrates humility. It does its work quietly and without drawing attention to itself.Love is not rude...
True love is never discourteous or offensive, but is sensitive to the needs and feelings of others.Love is not self-seeking...
True love is selfless, always looking out for the interest of others.Love is not easily angered...
Because true love is patient and kind and expects nothing in return, it has no need to react even when neglected, abused, or not returned. "Love is never wasted. If it is not reciprocated, it flows back to soften and purify the heart." (author unknown)Love keeps no record of wrongs...
It is easy to want to make mental lists of all the times when we are wronged, but doing so only hurts us. As my pastor said recently, "holding a grudge is like drinking rat poison but expecting the rat to die." True love has a short memory when it comes to being wronged.Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth...
True love never wishes bad things to happen to anyone for any reason. The Truth says that we all deserve death and hell, but thanks to the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross of Calvary, we don't have to suffer what we deserve. Jesus' ultimate, undeserved, but willing sacrifice for all mankind was the ultimate demonstration of true love. This is a truth we can rejoice with.Love always protects...
True love always looks out for others' best interest and is willing to make sacrifices in order to protect them when necessary.Love always trusts...
Trust is, unfortunately, almost a lost commodity in this day and age. True love, however, is willing to trust even when its object seems untrustworthy.Love always hopes...
We live in a world and an age and a circumstance that sometimes seem hopeless. True love, on the other hand, always hopes in the Truth."So I pray that God, Who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13 NLT).
Love always perseveres...
To persevere is to persist in the face of opposition, discouragement, and even seeming failure. Since God's Word states that His "plan...can be thwarted" (Job 42:2b), true love has ever incentive to persevere, no matter what.Love never fails...
Because true love makes no conditions and expects nothing in return, there is no reason for it to ever fail. True love is eternal!When asked by a religious expert which was the most important commandment, Jesus replied,
"37 You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:37-40 NLT).The Apostle Paul defined Agapé in the passage from 1 Corinthians, but Jesus' summary of the commandments tells us how to put it into action. I challenge you to examine your own definition of love and measure it against God's definition of true love.
"5 So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better. 6 Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness. 7 Godliness leads to love for other Christians, and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone" (2 Peter 1:5-7 NLT).
