What Love Is, What Love Is Not

Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave

himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice 

to God.

Life Question:  What Is Love? What Isn't Love?

If you love me, you'd do(fill in blank here), if you love me you'd(fill

in blank here). Prove you love me by(fill in blank here), prove you

love me by(fill in blank here). Sound familiar to anyone?

I've lived a little less than half my life on this planet, and I have 

heard most of the world's definitions of love, observed the world's 

definitions of love and at times, felt the world's definitions of love.

Which was a mixed message to me.

Now I know this Valentine's Day message is a wee bit late in coming, 

but sometimes when one wants to describe love, it can take awhile,

especially when you are trying to find meaning in it.....that's IF you're 

trying to find it by the world's definition.....but the definition of love

has already been established by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in

1 Corinthians 13:4-8:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, 

it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, 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. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where

there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will 

pass away.

Some people too, think love is about the showing of affection. That's part of it 

yes, but there's more to love than just affection. Love comes in the way we treat

each other, speak to each other and how we are there for each other. Whether 

friends, boyfriend-girlfriend or man and wife. Each relationship requires different

ways of showing love. Love also means showing our support and belief in the 

person(s)in our lives, showing our confidence in them and making them feel 

secure enough in relationships to share the whole of who we are when we are 

with them.

Yet, so many relationships become broken(friendships, boyfriend-girlfriend, 

man and wife)because the love God calls us to share and the things I mentioned

don't happen in all those relationships. There are many examples of what happens

when we don't love each other the way God teaches us(abuses of all kinds, neglect,

unfaithfulness, abandonment etc.) Don't get me wrong, the world's love in many ways

is good, but it can become so much more when God is a partner in it with us. God

can teach us how to love, how to show it and how to speak it to each other in ways

that the world can't even begin to understand, because GOD IS LOVE!!!

So for all those out there who want to "find love", look first in the Word of God

and read about how he defines it further in:

James

1 Thessalonians

1 Peter

Ephesians

Psalms

John and

Galatians

Again, sorry for the lateness of this Valentine's Day message, of course, love has no

expiration date, when God is in it. Remember, draw near to God and he will draw near

to you.

Blessings,

Liz Ciccone