Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
There is power in words, to inflict harm or to reflect love. Yet, in our modern culture, love is grossly misunderstood and misapplied. These days, thanks to the influence of Hollywood and the media, as well as the ideals espoused by the so-called “sexual revolution”, love is equated with lust or strong emotional desires and feelings. Perhaps this is one reason why we are surrounded by violence, child and sexual abuse, and widespread incivility. The type of love our culture promotes seeks to use others to fulfill the lover’s own desires, to bolster one’s self-image, or achieve one’s goals. It uses others. It is selfish.
This cultural concept of love stands in sharp contrast to the godly Love described by Saint Paul in 1 Corinthians 13. Godly love does not use others: it gives. The one who loves is not interested in self-gain, self-justification, or self-promotion. Love is not a mere abstract quality, a physical urge, or even an emotional feeling of good will, kindness or passion. It is action, it is behavior. Anyone can say “I love you.” But true love is expressed in actions that are totally centered on giving to the other person. As Paul says, Love never seeks its own.
The one who loves seeks to build up and edify others with tangible actions. The one who loves does not seek thanks or appreciation. This is because love is so much more important than any other quality, attribute or gift: it is eternal. It is the quintessential attribute of God, the reason why He came to earth as a man to die for our sins, the reason why He does all He does. He is focused on giving to us, so we may love Him by loving others.
Yet when it comes to love, at best our motives are mixed. This is why we need the Lord, why we need a savior! As we realize that Godly live is perfect, we see our own imperfection. This will help us remain humble for we must confess we need the Lord’s help. Love is the highest gift, the one gift we should all be manifesting and using every day of our lives. We can do so only by the help of God in Christ Jesus.