I love you. We say that a lot don’t we? Not many of us truly know what love is though. Love is not as complicated as the world says it is, and most of us have a very distorted view of what love really is. So, what is love and what does it look like in action? I would like to share with you the number one definition of love. It is found in the Bible in the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 13 verses 4 through 8. In verse 1 of that chapter the Apostle Paul writes, “And now I will show you the most excellent way.” Let us read what that way is:
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
If you have never read those words before, or even if you have read them for years, let all that love wash over you! That is real love folks and that kind of love can only come from God. You might be thinking, how could any human being on earth really love someone like that? Great question! The answer is found in Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit! He empowers us to love each other like that. When you give your life to Jesus, He actually fills you with His Holy Spirit, which gives you power to love like He does. Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.”
In 1 John 4:16 John wisely writes, “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. Verse 19 reminds us that, “We love because he first loved us.” We can extrapolate from these verses that if God is love (and He is), then the character of God is described perfectly in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8! That is how He loves us! Me, you, everyone!
Since God is love, then God is also patient, kind, He does not envy, He does not boast, He is not proud, He is not rude, He is not self-seeking, He is not easily angered (I praise Him for that!), He keeps no record of wrongs (praise God!), He does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth, He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres, and God never fails. He is not up there hovering over us with a lightning bolt like mythical Zeus!
God’s love my friends is perfect love. That is how He loves the whole world. 2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Do you realize that? God loves you and He does not want you to perish! He wants you to go to Heaven and be with Him. In fact, He proved His love for us by stepping off His throne and coming to earth to die for our sins Himself.
1 John 3:16 says, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.” John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Are you seeing the pattern? God did it all for the glory of love!
So, when you say I love you or you hear someone say I love you, please remember where love came from, who love is, and how we are truly supposed to love and be loved.
I love you all in the glorious love of God!
Grace and Peace to you all!
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”
Romans 10:9-10
Ryan Callahan's Blog 
Very true.
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Thanks brother! His love is what we all need! God bless!
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