What is your definition of love? Do you believe it to be a feeling? Do you consider it to be an emotion? Have you fallen in love? Do you tell others you love them? What if there is a different kind of love? What if God has something else in mind?
Loving another with our feelings is fine. After all, it is that kind of love that causes us to find spouses and care for our children. We use that kind of love to express our feelings toward foods, pets, clothing, vehicles and homes.
But God loves with a different kind of love. He loves us with agape love, which we call unconditional. What does that mean? It means that God decides to love us. Though he may not like what we do, he chooses to love us anyway.
The Apostle Paul describes this kind of love in 1 Corinthians 13. He tells us what it is and is not. Patience means that God bears our failures. Scripture also calls it forbearing or long-suffering. Kindness is showing mercy, not merely being nice.
When Paul states what it is not, he starts with envy. We are not to covet what others have. Not being boastful means not bragging about ourselves. Not showing arrogance means not to look down our noses at others. Not being rude means not to be disgraceful or dishonorable in our actions or words.
We wrap this definition up as a decision we make every day. We are forbearing with others, show them mercy, do not covet, do not brag, do not look down our noses, and do not act dishonorable.
I pray we all choose to love every day. I pray we love one another as God loves. I pray each one of us will demonstrate love to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Choose to love every day. Allow the Holy Spirit to change you. Love as God loves. Love one another. Know that God chooses to love you.
1 Corinthians 13:4-5a Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.
Marty Pressey 