The Essence of Love
Love is a topic often misunderstood. The scripture tells us that God is love. I thought about God being love along with his many names throughout the Bible and received an interesting revelation. His names in the Bible are used to describe both God's promises and his character. In many ways we look at his promises or his character to define God. The title a person holds is not the sum total of who they are. Think about it, is a garbage man garbage? Of course not. Just like we are not what we do, neither is God. This concept resonated with me concerning love.
Love is love is love! Love is the essence of what motivates us to act in ways we understand love should be displayed to others. Oftentimes, people attempt to demonstrate love in ways that may not effectively translate to others. Without a clear understanding of the difference between love and action, people will continue to define love in the most inconsequential ways.
We must understand what God says about love and not what society has adopted as acceptable. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 says 4 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. These are the characteristics that love embodies and God has laid out these principles as a guide for us to know how love should be demonstrated. It is up to us to decide to follow His guidance and to love in ways that honors Him and blesses others.
