Many religious people embrace the idea of loving others as themselves
but remain blissfully unaware of how the Bible defines love. As a result,
they do not understand the necessity of putting into practice the biblical
principles that determine the success or failure of their relationships.
"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone
who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not
know God, for God is love" (1 John 4:7-8).
Jesus Christ founded the Christian faith on the principle of love—Christians
wholeheartedly loving God and each other. John, one of Christ's disciples
and closest friends, penned these words near the end of his life: "And
we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love,
and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him" (1 John 4:16,
emphasis added throughout unless otherwise noted).
But what is love?
Ask your friends to explain it to you. See whether they all portray
it the same way. Will they describe it as a feeling? Or will they define
it as deeply caring for others but leave you to figure out what "caring" means?
How many will equate love with some form of sexual attraction?
It quickly becomes clear that the word love doesn't always mean the
same thing. One person may say, "I love ice cream," simply meaning he
enjoys it. Another will say, "Oh, I love your outfit," meaning she admires—or
desires—the clothing you are wearing.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could use a consistent definition of
love, especially when we are speaking about the love God has for us
and the love we should have for each other?
