True Love - What It Really Is

Love. It’s been sung about, it’s been written about in books and poems, and it’s been acted out in movies and television over and over. Jesus said this in John 13:34, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” The main writer of the New Testament, the Apostle Paul, tells us in chapter thirteen of 1 Corinthians that unless we have love we are nothing. Yes, the Bible is clear; if we say we are Christians then we must love.

But love is a word and unless we truly know what it means to love then we will fail in every relationship. The way we treat our parents, the administration of our marriages and families, and even in how we relate to God, must be built on a foundation of love. But what does it really mean to love?

Paul, under the blessed inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit, spells out exactly what real love is in his letter to the Corinthian church. While I pray that each and every Christian take time to study God’s Word for themselves, I offer a simple look at Paul’s teachings from 1 Corinthians 13.

Please take time to read the letter in its entirety, but first consider these things Paul tells us about love.

First of all love is patient. Most of us are not patient, especially in relating to our children. They are immature and too often we expect them to behave above their level of maturity. But in truth we, as Christians, need to be patient with each other. Most of us are still growing in our faith and are yet children. What about the world? A wonderful Christian witness is the act of patience with others as well.

Love is kind. The English dictionary defines this as friendly, generous, and considerate. Kindness is a wonderful virtue.

Love is not jealous. What this means is that we are to be happy for others when they have things we don’t. The tenth commandment is Thou Shall Not Covet. Who of us hasn’t inwardly seethed when we see a co-worker get praised or promoted? Or mumbled something under our breath about our neighbors when the truth is we just are coveting what they have. It’s hard to be kind to someone we are jealous of. Think about it. Let it go and be happy for others because the Bible says all good things come from God. So when we are jealous we are putting ourselves above God.

Love does not brag and is not arrogant. We all want to be right. And we all want to shove it down people’s throats when we are, especially the people we are jealous of. Humility is a lost trait in the world we live in. But it must become our goal because we are to be like Jesus, who was a walking example of humility.

Love does not act unbecomingly. Other translations describe this as being rude, irritable, and the insistent of things being done “our” way. It does not resent others.

Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, it rejoices in truth. What this means is that love is never pleased with unrighteousness and sin, but instead love rejoices in the goodness as seen through a godly life.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. This isn’t talking about being careless in living out life and trusting in things that shouldn’t be trusted in. No, it means that when we love then we never give up on the object of our love even when things get hard. God has the power to change all people and all situations. Jeremiah 32:17  “O Sovereign LORD! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!” God made all things and He can change all things. Love must exist in this truth. Love must live in the sure hope of God no matter how bleak they appear.

Love, real love, is hard. We must stop letting the world affect how we relate to each other and begin to love as God has designed us to do. Love is sacrifice. It is self-sacrifice. Jesus is the perfect example of love. Romans 5:8 is living proof of this example. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Did you catch that? While we were yet sinners Christ died for us. He didn’t wait until we straightened up. He didn’t wait until we stopped sinning. No, He loved us so much He died for us first. Thank God for that or we would all be on a direct path to hell.

But we are not Jesus; this kind of love looks too demanding you say. How could we possibly do it? We can do it by the power of the spirit. Take the time to read Galatians 5:16-25 and make it real in your heart. Walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out fleshly desires but will instead walk with Godly desires.

Love is the answer to everything we struggle with. If we learn to love as Paul teaches us to, then all our relationships will flourish.

Peter gives us sound advice in 1 Peter 4:8 saying, “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.”

Yes, those around us are messed up and filled with sin. I doubt that any of us have become perfect either and sin still shows up in us as well. But the answer is love. It covers the sin. But it must be the true love that God call us to exercise in our lives. It must be love that considers others as more important than self. Love like that shall not fail.

Be blessed in love for God is love.