Truth About Love
"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth" 1 Corinthians 13:4-6
"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth" 1 Corinthians 13:4-6
Ahh, Valentine's Day. The day when the sales of roses and chocolate go up exponentially, and this verse is quoted off the cuff. What a wonderful holiday. And, in reality, it is a great holiday when taken in context.
I think the reason it is so commercialized, much like any other holiday, is that most people do not understand the truth about love. I took a small sampling of people and quizzed them about a few questions about their experiences with love, their ideas of love, and the core of love.
The answers I got back surprised me, to say the least! For one thing, I found out that some young people today have had as many as 20 relationships before turning 18! It shows me the nerve that runs through this issue of love. People are turning younger and younger to try and find completion in the arms and companionship of someone else.
I also found via this little survey that people have all sorts of ideas as to what love is like. I've heard it described like glass; beautiful but fragile. Love is like Christmas morning, another person said. Love is an empire to some, and to a couple of people, love is pain. Some of these responses were very poetic and artistic, but some betrayed the very idea I'd like to point out.
It seems to me that too much of the world and its sensationalism has gotten into the true idea of love. Love, to most people, is a ride of emotions, some high, some low, but altogether, it's that warm, squishy feeling you get inside. What is not understood is that there are four "types" of love, and that these four are, at their core, the same thing.
All loves share the above qualities listed in the passage. All of them are rooted first in God, and have their cause in God. All of them are willfull choices we make, which are then accompanied by emotion. I think this is the big idea that trips people up. Most people in the world believe truly that love is fueled by emotions, but in actuality, if one is to take an automotive analogy, emotions are the vehicle in which love drives. Love is actually the fuel that drives the emotions, and not the other way around!
We see this in these attributes. Patient, kind, humble, forgiving. All of these qualities are qualities that you choose to be! They require will and effort and drive, and none of those things come from emotionalism. Now, I'm not saying that emotions play no part, by no means! Emotions are very important, but they are not at the essence of what love is.
Think about it. All loves are really at their core, the same. The love of God is the same as the love of family which is the same as romantic love which is the same of brotherly love. They all share the same characteristics, they all have the same root causes, and they all have the same goal: to glorify God.
In light of this fact, most analogies crumble to dust. If love is beautiful and fragile like glass, it is also shallow and one dimensional. Can we say the same of God's love for us? No! If love is an empire, then it doesn't last forever and is subject to corruption. Can we say the same of God's love for us? No! You see, we have to hold these analogies up to the light of the only pure example, and that is God and His love. If they do not hold up, then they are false.
Another amazing fact about God and love is this, and I'll close with this thought. The Bible calls God our Father. Jesus calls us His friends. Jesus is called our Bridegroom. And the Sovereign Lord says Himself that He loves us with rejoicing and singing. It is only God, and in God, that we find all four loves coalescing in One, Eternal Person.
I think the reason it is so commercialized, much like any other holiday, is that most people do not understand the truth about love. I took a small sampling of people and quizzed them about a few questions about their experiences with love, their ideas of love, and the core of love.
The answers I got back surprised me, to say the least! For one thing, I found out that some young people today have had as many as 20 relationships before turning 18! It shows me the nerve that runs through this issue of love. People are turning younger and younger to try and find completion in the arms and companionship of someone else.
I also found via this little survey that people have all sorts of ideas as to what love is like. I've heard it described like glass; beautiful but fragile. Love is like Christmas morning, another person said. Love is an empire to some, and to a couple of people, love is pain. Some of these responses were very poetic and artistic, but some betrayed the very idea I'd like to point out.
It seems to me that too much of the world and its sensationalism has gotten into the true idea of love. Love, to most people, is a ride of emotions, some high, some low, but altogether, it's that warm, squishy feeling you get inside. What is not understood is that there are four "types" of love, and that these four are, at their core, the same thing.
All loves share the above qualities listed in the passage. All of them are rooted first in God, and have their cause in God. All of them are willfull choices we make, which are then accompanied by emotion. I think this is the big idea that trips people up. Most people in the world believe truly that love is fueled by emotions, but in actuality, if one is to take an automotive analogy, emotions are the vehicle in which love drives. Love is actually the fuel that drives the emotions, and not the other way around!
We see this in these attributes. Patient, kind, humble, forgiving. All of these qualities are qualities that you choose to be! They require will and effort and drive, and none of those things come from emotionalism. Now, I'm not saying that emotions play no part, by no means! Emotions are very important, but they are not at the essence of what love is.
Think about it. All loves are really at their core, the same. The love of God is the same as the love of family which is the same as romantic love which is the same of brotherly love. They all share the same characteristics, they all have the same root causes, and they all have the same goal: to glorify God.
In light of this fact, most analogies crumble to dust. If love is beautiful and fragile like glass, it is also shallow and one dimensional. Can we say the same of God's love for us? No! If love is an empire, then it doesn't last forever and is subject to corruption. Can we say the same of God's love for us? No! You see, we have to hold these analogies up to the light of the only pure example, and that is God and His love. If they do not hold up, then they are false.
Another amazing fact about God and love is this, and I'll close with this thought. The Bible calls God our Father. Jesus calls us His friends. Jesus is called our Bridegroom. And the Sovereign Lord says Himself that He loves us with rejoicing and singing. It is only God, and in God, that we find all four loves coalescing in One, Eternal Person.
posted by Charlie | 4:24 PM
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