What is Love?

Most of us have had people around tell us “ I love you”; family, friends, or spouse, and we’ve used it as well.

If you’re anything like me as a child, you must have wondered how the same mother that says she loves you will still discipline you strongly when you do wrong. That’s really the first time some of us began to question what love is.

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22‬:‭36‬-‭40‬ ‭NKJV‬‬). 

What is really is Love?

Love is an instruction, a major component of the greatest commandment from God as seen in the Bible verse above.

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines it as a quality or feeling of strong or constant affection and dedication to another.

Have you had somebody profess love to you, while promising heaven & earth just for the same person to switch up and act cold towards you randomly, in other words he/she fell out of love with you? At this point you realize the dictionary definition is no longer giving, because this “love” wasn’t constant and lasted just a short while. 

Many may have their individual definitions and thoughts of what love means to them and how best they can or choose to express love. In doing that we’ve created rooms for errors, biases, misinformation, deception and misinterpretation of what love is.

The question still remains, what then is Love? 

Love is God’s creation— “God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out, his merciful love couldn’t have dried up. They’re created new every morning. How great your faithfulness!” (‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭22‬-‭23 ‭MSG‬‬) 

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” (‭‭I John‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

Love is the great commandment of God to his people— ”You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.“ (‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭6‬:‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

“Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22‬:‭37‬-‭40‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

Now we know what love is, adding more depth to this meaning is seeing in practice what it means to love, and how love should be expressed. 

“But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.“ (‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭‭8‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

”For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.“ (‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

Love is sacrifice, when there’s nothing in it for us.  

“Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, Doesn’t have a swelled head, Doesn’t force itself on others, Isn’t always “me first,” Doesn’t fly off the handle, Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, Doesn’t revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end.“ (‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭4-‭7‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

Love is Gods creation and his word clearly shows us the definition of love and how it should be expressed; through actions. Love is more than just words, Love is giving.

I remember feeling alone and lost, having no one I could express myself to without feeling guilty or judged right there and then God showed up in His love, and I had this to say.

“I was far gone.

Prayers became just a daily routine 

I lost that spark 

The conversations didn’t hit anymore 

The only person I can be totally open to

Yet when I’m overwhelmed 

You’re the last person I think of calling 

But you love me still. 

A Love that is so faithful 

Shame & guilt couldn’t take it away.

Love like no other 

Ever open for an embrace. 

I’ll run back to that love today!”

Love is deep- “nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭39‬ ‭NKJV‬‬).

Love is deeper than our feelings, true love is of God. Love is Love, not what we think Love is.