What is love? This is a very hard question to answer; there is a multitude of answers, and you kind of have to find that out on your own. People are always trying to define it, but love is just a word we use to try and explain an unexplainable feeling. There are many types of love. There is the love you feel for your family, your friends, your spouse or bf/gf, but the most important love to know is the love of God. What does the bible say of love?
1 Corinthians 13
Love
1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
So, let’s try and break that down: Starting with verse 1-3, If you speak not the words of love you’re just making noise. If you have miraculous abilities and faith, but you do not love, you have nothing. If you give all of yourself, but not in the name of love, it is for nothing.
Now verses 4-7: Basically this means that love is pure. There is only good in love. That is why God triumphs over evil, because the evil do not have the ability to love. This is the greatest weakness of evil.
Verses 8-12: Love is the end all. It never fails it is the greatest gift given to the world by God. His Promise of never-ending love will hold true. It is because of the love of the Lord that we may have eternal life. He loves us so much that he would put all of the sin of humanity on the weight of his son’s shoulders, and that he would sacrifice his son on the cross that we would live forever, and it is through love that God was able to bring his son back from death.
Verse 13: If you have ever asked the question, “What is the meaning of life?” this should answer your question: It is simple really, we are called to have faith, hope and love. To have faith in our Lord. To have hope for ourselves, our families, our friends, our neighbors, in humanity, but most importantly in God. Lastly, and most importantly to live the life of love that God intended us to live. You might hear people say, “Be like Jesus” if you want to be like Jesus all you have to do is to live a life of love.
Spread the love
-Tim Masters
Yes, if you live like Jesus, and love like Jesus did, you can change peoples lives instantly, then in return they can change someones life. Its like making ripples by throwing a rock in the water, it spreads everywhere.
ReplyDeleteVerse 2 really stuck out to me. The fact that is says you can have all the knowledge and faith in the world but without love you have nothing really shows that in order to have faith and knowledge you need a base of love. I dont think it can work the other way around.
ReplyDeleteI really like your post Tim.
ReplyDeleteI like to think of love as an action. Love is doing, not feeling. What is faith if you do not show it through works? And what are works without the driving faith behind them? At CCU my friends and I always use to say "I Verb You" because that's what love is, a verb, an action of some kind or another. It can be anything from praying for someone, helping them financially, or just listening to what they have to say.
Love is not a warm fuzzy feeling like many stories portray. It may have some warm moments, but love, a true and pure love, is difficult. It hurts. It can stratch you, bruise you and even break you. But the amazing thing about love is that it can also heal you. More and more marriages fall apart in our country because everyone wants that fairy-tale, in your face love that is unstoppable and undeniable. But most of the time it is questioned, examined, trying and painful, but it also endures.
In the New Testament, in it's origional language Greek, there are three different words for "love" as we know it. There is the word for a brotherly (friendship) love, for a spousal love, and for the love we have for God. Of these three our love for God is the most painful and difficult love. Why would God make loving so difficult? Because the end result is worth it. Love is like a great fire that molds and shapes your heart into something different. Love never leaves you untouched. Especially the love for God. If you open your heart and let Him in to shape and mold your heart into a man or woman after his own heart, your life will never be the same. It may not be easier, in fact it will probably be more difficult, but it will be worth it.
Kev-well said
ReplyDeleteAva-I think that verse does an amazing job of showing the power of God's love.
Katie-very nice. That love of God you speak of, the word is agape. It is the most powerful form of the word in Greek. Eros is another form, and the other I don't know off the top of my head...
Anyway, I for the most, part agree with you. I'm glad you brought up that painful feeling. I have felt it. It is a wonderful, yet terrible feeling at the same time. It will tear you into pieces, then rebuild you just to tear you down again. It's a very hard thing to describe. It can take over your thoughts, make you lose sleep, make you feel physical pain. Why is it so great then? Because nothing great can come without work. Love takes time. I have felt that hurting in regards to other people, but I have yet to feel it for God. I hope I do very soon.
As for love being a verb; that's a bit of a yes and no, for me at least. Yes, you may love someone, and it takes an effort, but what about loving your family or friends? I've never had to really try to love those people; it just happens.
I enjoyed your blog Tim. It is uplifting and oh-so-important. God IS Love and so loved the world the He gave his only begotten son. Praise God that he first loved us. Lord give us the faith to sustain our love each day until we have finished the race set before us.
ReplyDeletegrandpa
But how do you show your love for them? Through actions. It's all well and good if you know you love them, but what is knowing if you can't show it? What is love (faith) without works? Nothing. Giving time is an action. Even if it's just watching tv or eating dinner, emailing, talking on the phone or even just thinking about them. Time is an action, love is an action. Love is also a choice. You may feel affection toward a person, but you cannot say you love them unless you chose to love them. God gave us free will, His greatest gift to man-kind. And the best thing we can do with that free will is choose to love: to love God, to love others and to love ourselves. And by choosing you usually follow it up with an action. Think of everyone you love, how do you let them know you love them? How do others show you they love you. This is the problem I face often. I don't get to talk to all the people that I love and I often falter in believing that they still love me, but I think about them, I pray for their lives, and I remember the times we had, all of those things are actions, they may be inner actions that others can't see, but I know what it is, and I know who I love; even if I am unsure they still remember me. The depth of the love varies, and often anger or guilt over-shadows my love, but it does not mean I do not love.
ReplyDeleteMy three main points to love is that it is a choice, it is an action, and it is painful.