Love

Our modern usage of love has corrupted the word and also the concept. We say, “I love Ford cars, my Mom, ice cream and fried chicken.” After statements like this, what do we understand a statement like, “I love my husband (or wife),” or “I love God.” Our attempt is to communicate the values we have for one thing compared to something, or everything else. When we embellish terms to hyper emphasize our preferences, we help others lessen the meaning of a crucial concept. For Christians, the Holy Spirit led Paul to describe love like this, “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 14-7 (ESV)
This description sounds much different than what one meant by, “I love ice cream.” The concept of love Paul speaks about relates to human relationships, and is based on the feelings and actions God has for His creation. This love is not showy, but steady or unchanging. Since it doesn’t insist on its own way, this love leaves room for each person to be unique. This description of feeling and respect goes further, true love is constant. Paul says this love “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” The language used by the people to whom Paul wrote used a language that was very precise. The verbs used to describe true love are:
Bear: to properly support and protect
Believe: to be completely persuaded a thing is true
Hope: to continually and actively await God’s fulfillment
Endure: to be firmly established, bearing up against hardship and ultimately persevering.
Again, this is not a description that applies to ice cream. This love speaks about the love God’s people possess, modeled after God’s own display in Jesus. It speaks of respect, commitment, defense, anticipation, and perseverance. His love remains firm when situations around the parties begin to crumble. All this is done when only God can see and know the details. True love is wholly committed, costing time and effort. It gives with no expectation of recognition or return.