Love

Love is patient, love is kind, it isn’t jealous, it doesn’t brag, it isn’t arrogant, it isn’t rude, it doesn’t seek its own advantage, it isn’t irritable, it doesn’t keep a record of complaints, it isn’t happy with injustice, but it is happy with the truth.  Love puts up with all things, trusts in all things, hopes for all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, CEB)

Every year, on Valentine’s Day, many people exchange cards, candies or cute gifts to express their love for each other.  Although gifts are nice, it is far better to give and receive true love – the kind of love that is described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

In Corinthians, chapter 13, Paul addresses members of the church who were abusing and misusing their spiritual gifts.  In response, Paul tells them that although spiritual gifts are nice, it is much better to give and receive love.  Then he proceeds to write out, in verses 4 through 7, fifteen verbs that paint an excellent picture of what love really looks like.  It is interesting to note that none of these fifteen verbs has anything to do with our feelings.  Modern day dictionaries would have us believe that love is only an emotion, a complex feeling, at best.  However, biblically speaking and more honestly, love is more than an emotion - it's an action, and a sacrificial one at that.  Let's look at those verbs – patient, kind, isn’t jealous, doesn’t brag, isn’t arrogant, isn’t rude, doesn’t seek its own advantage, isn’t irritable, doesn’t keep a record of complaints, isn’t happy with injustice, happy with truth, puts up with all things, trusts, hopes and endures.  Honestly, when dealing with people who are close to us and who know how to push our buttons, showing love some times goes against what we feel.  Point being – love is much greater than an emotion – it’s a commitment encompassing all those fifteen aspects of lovee.

Today let us remember that love is more than the card, the candy, the flowers or the cute gifts we may or may not receive.  On this Valentine’s Day, let us appreciate one of the many gifts God has given us - the capacity to love.