7 Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn’t supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it’s harder every time. You’ll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You’ll fight with your best friend. You’ll blame a new love for things an old one did. You’ll cry because time is passing too fast, and you’ll eventually lose someone you love.
If you were to ask the question “What is love?” in a crowded room the answers would be as varied as the individuals in the room. It’s an age old question, with no easy answer, at least on the surface. One of the most perplexing questions a woman could ask a man is “Why do you love me?” because apparently “Because I do!” is not a sufficient answer!
Love has been called a many splendored thing, and to be truthful once you know love there is nothing like it. For the believer love is God. God is Love. Love comes from God. Do you notice the trend here? Love and God are intertwined. Love doesn’t manifest apart from God for the person of faith. Any different understanding of love is a pale shadow of what it can truly beome.
Of course, none of this answers the question “What is love?” If love comes from God, then perhaps the highest authority on the definition of love should come from God’s word.
4 Love is patient, love is kind.
Love does not envy,
is not boastful, is not conceited,
5 does not act improperly,
is not selfish, is not provoked,
and does not keep a record of wrongs.
6 Love finds no joy in unrighteousness
but rejoices in the truth.
7 It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
(I Corinthians 13:4-7, HCSB)
The next question then might be how do we apply that to our daily life? Love needs to be demonstrated.