What is love?

As a follower of Christ, I know I am commanded to love. This love encompasses God, my children, my husband, the oppressed, the hurting, all the saints, my friends, my extended family, people who disagree with me, my neighbors, and my enemies.

“Love others” seems like such an easy command, and I can fool myself into thinking I love someone else. When I closely examine how the Bible defines love, I can see how short I fall in living out the commands to love. Just the other day, I was challenged by a friend on Facebook who posted about love and charged her friends to embrace the full definition of love. I want to share her insights.

Love:
- lays its life down for others (Romans 5:8, John 15:12)
- is patient and kind, not jealous, rude, or arrogant (1 Corinthians 13:4)
- is not irritable or bitter [and does not insist on its own way] (1 Corinthians 13:5)
- rejoices in truth (1 Corinthians 13:6)
- endures, is long-suffering, and perseveres (1 Corinthians 13:7)
- follows the example of Jesus in humility and service to the point of death (John 15:12, Philippians 2, Ephesians 5:1-2)
- doesn't deflect from its own sin to point at others (Matthew 7:3-5)
- walks as children of the light, knowing the fruit of the light is "found in all that is good and right and true" (Ephesians 5:9)
- exposes the works of darkness (Ephesians 5:11)
- confronts sin, starting with self (1 John 1:8-10)
- builds up (1 Corinthians 8:1, 13:4-13)
- cares about what causes another to stumble or hinders his growth in Christ, willing to give up our rights for another (1 Corinthians 8:1, 9-13)
- aims for restoration and reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:14-21)
- is following Christ's commands (John 14:15, John 15:10-11, John 13:34, 1 John 2:3-6, 1 John 5:1-3, 2 John 6)
- is knowing God (1 John 4:7-12, 16)
- should characterize our every act (1 Corinthians 16:14)
-fulfills the law: you shall love your neighbor in the same way you love and care for yourself (Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:36-40, John 13:34, 1 John 2:7-11, 1 John 3:23-24)
- is truth in action (1 John 3:18)

“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. “ 1 John 3:16-18

So, when compared to the biblical definition of love, how are we doing? I know I can get discouraged when I see all the ways I have failed to love others, specifically in insisting on my own way and not laying down my life and rights for the good of others. But there is hope for the follower of Christ! If our hope is in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, His Spirit abides in us, as does His love. We are therefore equipped and empowered to live out the love He commands us to have for others. We look to Christ as the One who demonstrated His love for us by laying down His life for us, and we examine our own lives. In the areas where we are not loving others as He commands, we repent. Then, by His grace, we extend love, even when it is inconvenient, even when it is costly, even when it hurts, because Christ’s love cost Him His life. Our love should follow His sacrificial and generous model in every aspect of our lives, towards God, our children, our spouses, the oppressed, the hurting, all the saints, our friends, our extended families, people who disagree with us, our neighbors, and our enemies.