Defining Love
What is love? Many of us have asked this question before and still can’t adequately define it. I had a professor in college once tell me that the most important things in life are love and relationships: your relationship with the Jesus and your relationship with people. So what does the Bible say about love? Thankfully, the Bible has so much material on the subject.
Be Love
1 John 4:21 says, “And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also”. Sometimes we assume that if we love God, we don’t have to get too involved with church or people, but that is not the case. It is so important that we learn to be in community with others and love them well. If we want to love others well, there are five things we must be:
- Be Patient and Kind.
“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.” (1 Corinthians 13:4).
To be patient, we have to let go of our pride. It is not just about being patient, it is about being patient with the right attitude. Kindness is not always convenient but it is always necessary. It will cost you to go out of your way to show kindness to others.
Kindness is not always convenient but it is always necessary. -Ali Pierce Share on X2. Be Selfless.
“Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable” (1 Corinthians 13:5).
It is a sacrifice to be selfless. True love must not be motivated by selfish motives. If you are going to be a person of love, you must learn to joyfully put others before yourself.
3. Be Forgiving.
“Love keeps no record of being wronged.” (1 Corinthians 12:5).
When people wrong you and ask for your forgiveness, forgive them and don’t bring it up again. If God gives us all room to grow, shouldn’t we give each other room to grow?
4. Be Firm.
“Love does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out” (1 Corinthians 13:6).
It is important that we are lovers of truth. To be a lover of truth, we are required to speak the truth, in love, to our fellow followers of Christ. We cannot both love them and cheer on their sin.
5. Be Consistent.
“Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance” (1 Corinthians 13:7).
When times get tough, our biggest tendency is to pull away from each other. However, for the sake of community, we must fight for love, and resist the temptation to pull away.
Stay In Love
No matter what life brings, know that it is God’s will for us to be in community with each other. A community that loves like this can stand through the toughest of storms. Stay strong. Stay in love. You belong.
Caleb and Ali live in East Tennessee where they serve at The Lift Church. With boldness and conviction, their deepest desire is to see the church revived and the world awakened. Learn more about The Lift by visiting theliftchurch.tv.
