"Love is.."

What is love? Culture says that sex is love. Society says that it is the warm giddy feeling you get when you see someone. Our human nature says it is all about emotions. God's Word, however, has a different view. In the Bible, love is a choice. A choice to treat someone in a kind and selfless manner despite the situation or emotions involved.

1 Corinthians 13:4-13
"Though my achievements be many, if they are endeavored without love, they are nothing. Love is patient and kind, Love is never jealous or envious, Love is never boastful or proud, Love is never haughty, selfish, or rude, Love does not demand its own way, Love does not keep an accounting of errors, Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth, Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. As we live in Faith, Hope, and Love, these three, the greatest of these is love."

This verse has been on my heart lately, so I have decided to do an in-depth analysis, to see what love really means in each aspect.

"Though my achievements be many, if they are endeavored without love, they are nothing."

No matter what we do, no matter how many great deeds we do for the good of mankind, if we do it with any other attitude than one of love, it is useless. This doesn't mean just if we do it with a cold heart. This also means if we are doing it with a selfish motive - for our own gain or glory, out of pride or greed. It is meaningless unless we do it with a selfless attitude, and a motive of love. This doesn't just apply to great deeds though. This applies to every decision in our lives. if we make a single decision out of selfishness, then it is meaningless. It serves no purpose other than to feed our sinful nature.

"Love is patient and kind"

This means exactly what it says - Love is patient and kind. When we act towards our friends or family in an impatient or unkind manner, we are not loving them.

"Love is never jealous or envious"

In loving someone, we can not be jealous of them, keeping them all to ourselves, or envy them what they have. If we begrudge someone the blessings in their life, that is not loving them.

"Love is never boastful or proud"

The first thing to come to mind in this is gloating. When we get something that is good, or if we are right when someone else is wrong, if we love that person, we won't be boastful or proud about it. To rub something in another's face is not loving them.

"Love is never haughty, selfish, or rude"

This goes much along with not being boastful or proud, meaning we do not act "high and mighty" towards others, as well as simply acting kindly towards others, and not being rude.

"Love does not demand its own way, Love does not keep an accounting of errors"

Love means compromise - not always having your way. When you truly love someone, you put their wants and needs before your own, which leaves no room for selfishness. Beyond this as well, love means not keeping tabs of everything someone else does wrong. The easiest example of this is when you are fighting, you cannot bring up past offenses. Love means forgiving, and if something is forgiven it needs to stay that way, not constantly brought into the present.

"Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth"

The truth... The truth is not always easy. Scratch that, the truth is almost never easy. But it's the right thing. It's hard, especially when you have to tell it to someone you care about, but loving them means telling them the truth, no matter how painful. It also means encouraging them to tell the truth. 


"Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. As we live in Faith, Hope, and Love, these three, the greatest of these is love."

Well we all know what that means - Love is sticking with it through thick and thin, no matter what. Without love everything is meaningless. LOVE = MEANING OF LIFE

Writing this has been an eye-opening and convicting experience. I always find it ironically amusing when I am convicted by my own words, but I love it in a weird way. It makes it easier to follow through and change when I myself was the one proclaiming the truth that I was convicted by. I don't know why. Perhaps it is fueled by my desire to not be seen as a hypocrite. However, just for truth's sake, I am among the worst of hypocrites. However I am not alone, and at least I admit it. I am a work in progress, and I make tons of mistakes. The important thing is that in being a work in progress, that I actually make progress. =]