Oh darling, what is love?

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, boastful, proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and keeps no record of being wronged. Love does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” -1^st Corinthians 13:4-7

This is the Bible’s definition of love. This is not the typical love you see in today’s society. Is what we are seeing around us truly love or lust? What is the difference? Is our generation being brought up knowing how to love? Is love an emotion or an action? Just think about those questions for a second.

Love is an outward action towards others whereas lust is inward and selfish. When you truly love you will give without expecting any yield. Most of our current worlds view of love is a selfish love, it is lust. Love is not a temporary feeling but a place in your heart that with God this love will never cease. Our world will say that love is a “feeling” that makes you feel good and that it is just to sacrifice your morals and other standards you have for yourself to obtain this fake “love”. I am telling you right now it is never just to sacrifice your morals for a temporary feeling because with God you can obtain an everlasting love inside and out.

God’s love was so big for us that he sent his son to die for us. How can we love as much as someone who sacrificed their own son for our corrupt lives? This is just how big love is.

My experience with the world's view of love is limited. In my limited experience after only two weeks of “dating” a young lad, he said he “loved” me. I was flattered but could not fathom how someone could truly and wholeheartedly love someone after only two weeks. This would mean that this young man would step out in front of a car for me. This was definitely not the case. This “love” he felt towards me was a selfish love, a childish love, a materialistic love. I often question if people say they love each other just to claim someone. People feel that if both people love each other that all is well and that that person is now yours. The only person we belong to is God and love does not claim someone because that is where it turns into a selfish desire. Love is more than just a four letter word.

So what is true love and when is it selfless to love? Often it is easier to say you love someone and would die for them than to actually die for them. By serving others and giving to the people we love without desiring anything in return is true love. The reason for this is because we are giving them part of us without asking for anything. We are laying down part of our life just as God had given his own sons life just for us. Therefore, it is okay to love but just make sure this love is genuine and selfless, not lustful. Love is an action and that action takes practice. We must demonstrate love so that our love is not empty or meaningless like the young man I mentioned. Love is a verb, do not forget that!