The Definition of LOVE: Do You Know the Real Meaning?
The Definition of LOVE: Do You Know the Real Meaning?
I found when researching love people often confused love and sex to be the same thing when in actuality it is not. When you look up the definition of love you will find that it is both a noun and a verb. It’s a feeling and an action. Sex’s ultimate design was to be a result from a committed love sanctified through marriage.
So then you may ask, “What is love?” Has this not been the question people have sung about, the inspiration for poems, asked, researched, and pondered over for centuries? Well the answer lies in the scriptures spoken by the Author of Life. The very Person and Creator of love. Here is love broken down from 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8:
~Love is patient- Apart from what the media wants to feed you; love is not about instant gratification. It takes time to nurture and unfold like that of the rose. It waits with excitement.
~Love is kind- It is not abused through words, manipulation, or physical force. It speaks with the gentle care and understanding that the spirit is fragile.
~It does not envy- It does not look at the other as competition but as complementary to their own person. It comes as a whole piece weaved into the other.
~It does not boast- Love is not looking to win the popularity contest, status, or money and then go around making sure everyone knows of their connection. These things may be a bonus but not a requirement.
~It is not proud- It does not speak of the other person as a possession or trophy that has been won. Love does not carry an air of arrogance but rather humility that God has found favor in you.
~It does not dishonor others- A relationship should reflect Christ and that means being respectful of each other especially when in public. It should not be a means to destroy those around you but a means to build up.
~It is not self-seeking- Love is not worried about satisfying their own needs regardless of the consequences. It is putting the other person in high regard by respecting their needs and including them without resentment but with pleasure.
~It is not easily angered- In relation with patience, those things that are opposite from our personal nature should be looked upon with fondness and dealt with by the fruits of the Spirit.
~It keeps no records of wrongs- Forgiveness and mercy are easily handed out because of the understanding that we are a fallen creature. By constantly reminding the other person of their shortcomings is completely disregarding what Jesus did on the cross.
~Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth- Love is not happy when the other failed them but truly works on coming to a resolution whether or not they are in the right.
~It always protects- Whether it’s their reputation or their character, love is careful about what it says and who it says it to. It is covering the other with spiritual protection through prayer and finding ways to bring the other closer to the Lord rather than farther away.
~Always trusts- It gives the other to space to flourish satisfied and confident in the connection they have made. Therefore, allowing the other person to grow whether or not they are actively part of the process.
~Always hopes- Regardless of the season love is in, there is an excitement for the future and knowledge that God will bring them through anything.
~Always perseveres- Through any and all conflict, love not only pushes them through but creates a stronger attachment that will be harder to come up against when tested through the same or different struggle.
~Love never fails- In the end, love has won over death and surpasses time. It always remains victorious as shown through the Ultimate Example of love, Jesus.
As you can see, love is far more than a fleeting act of sex. It has been perfected through Jesus to show that love is a sacrifice of the ultimate degree. Through the breaking, it is made beautiful. It is to be looked at with reverence and as a gift. Unfortunately, people have replaced love with sex. Sex needs to be put back in its place and that is under the covenant of marriage where it can be fully defined.
“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us” (1 John 4: 9-12).
Jesus, family, ministry, and lots of coffee! My heart comes from being a young teen girl who didn’t know much and found Jesus in a dark time. My ministry focuses on the heart of God for this generation to make Godly decisions especially in the area of purity. A blog for all ages because God’s Word is eternal and has no age limit!
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