As you read this, you are no doubt preparing for Valentine’s Day (Hint: Guys, this is why I am writing this a couple of weeks early!). This is a special time each year where we plan events and exchanges around the theme of love, but have you ever thought of what love really is? Is it flowers and candy and cards? The retail industry certainly hopes so! Is it parties, dates and gifts? The service industry hopes so! Is it exotic and erogenous and throwing caution to the wind under the guise of “love”? The devil would like us to believe that! So, what is love? I am glad you asked. Let us consider the following definition and description of love from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8:
Love is patient. Patience means that we react in a way that puts the needs of the person we love ahead of our desire to get on with whatever it is we are facing.
Love is kind. Kindness is defined as being of a sympathetic or helpful nature. Sympathy is the ability to feel with another person. To be kind then is to act upon what will make someone else feel better or to help them.
Love is not jealous. Being jealous means that person is so insecure about their own needs that they have to attempt to control the other person.
Love does not brag. Bragging is a reaction of insecurity in which a person attempts to put the full glare of the highlights of everyone’s attention squarely on themselves.
Love is not arrogant. Arrogance is exaggerating one’s own important through the use of overbearing behaviors.
Love does not act unbecomingly. Acting becomingly means to act attractively suitable or in using good manners and restraint.
Love does not seek its own. That means it seeks what is best for the other.
Love is not provoked. It does not sit around itching and waiting for a fight.
Love does not take into account a wrong suffered. Love forgives and releases the right to seek vengeance when dealing with the person in the future.
Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness. It does not rejoice when people make ridiculous and obvious mistakes that lead to the pain or inconvenience of the other.
Love rejoices with the truth. Love wants the best and knows the truth to be the best, even when it may mean that the object of that love may not appreciate it.
Love bears all things. It does not set limits on what it will put up with.
Love believes all things. This does not mean gullibility, but rather the kind of belief in someone that allows you act for their good and to see them accomplish their goals.
Love hopes all things. True love always believes that both they and the other are capable of better and eagerly seek it out for themselves and for each other.
Love endures all things. Love does not draw a line in the sand and say, “I will love you as long as you don’t do this.”
Love never fails. True love does not wake up one day and decide not to love anymore because it can’t. By virtue of the fact it is love, it perseveres.
Now that we have reviewed what love is, have you noticed something? Love is not a feeling. Love is not some pie-in-thesky ideal. Love is hard work. Love is a daily decision and sometimes even moment by moment. This Valentine’s Day, before you tell someone you love them, stop and ask yourself if what you are really saying is described above or if you really just like them, a lot, for now.