Love

I've been thinking a lot about love and what it truly means. In the world, we try so hard to commercialize and define something God has already defined and exhibited so perfectly. God desires for us to pursue and show our love by his son, Christ's, example in both our spiritual and physical relationships.

Defining LOVE:
Characteristics of Love:

1. Sacrifice
1 John 4:9-10 (NIV)
"God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins."

God sent his only son to die on the cross so our sins could be forgiven. This is the ultimate sacrifice, the ultimate act of love.

2. Comforting
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)
"All praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts us. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."

No matter what situations are presented in our lives, God is always there to comfort us. He comforts us so we can in turn, comfort others in His name and credit our source of comfort to Him.

3. Accepting
Romans 15:7 (NIV)
"So accept each other just as Christ has accepted you; then God will be glorified."

God has chosen each and everyone of us before we were born to be his children. No matter our faults, he accepts us. The Israelites constantly turned their backs on Him but God chose them before they ever chose Him and He never turned His back on them. Like God, we need to accept others, despite their faults.

4. Encouraging
Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)
"But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."

When we have faith in God, He will encourage us and give us strength. By offering this encouragement to others we are conveying God's strength into their lives. God offers great rewards to keep us from being discouraged in our walk with Him.

5. Humility
Philippians 2:5-8 (NIV)
"Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. Though He was God, He did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made Himself nothing; He took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form He obediently humbled Himself even further by dying a criminal's death on the cross."

Jesus performed the most perfect act of humility. He came to the earth in human form, was "nothing" to the world, and died as an accused criminal on a cross. He did this all to save our souls. Like Jesus, we need to humble ourselves before God and to others.

So, what is love?
1 John 4:8 says, "But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love." All of these characteristics are just characteristics of God's love. When we accept His love, we should love others to show God how much we appreciate His love. When we let God live through us, we will truly show love in every aspect and relationship in our lives.

Why love?
God gives us the command to love. In Deuteronomy 6:5 He says, "And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength." Through this love we express to God, our love for others will be expressed.