When you read the title did your head start bobbing and the song start playing in your head? There are so many songs written about love. I would guess there are thousands of love songs written over the years---there are many written in God's Word. In the New International Version (1984) Love is referenced 698 times. Wow! In today's society the word love is taken way too lightly. I think most of us truly don't understand what love really means. I did a search to define love and it was interesting to read the varied definitions. Most of the definitions described love as 'strong predilection, enthusiasm, or liking for anything'. Love was actually used to define itself in several of the definitions too. It is such a complex word with such depth that its' full comprehension is difficult to grasp. Sadly, it is used way too casually in our society. We speak of loving everything (myself included).
Deuteronomy 6:5 says Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul and with all of your strength. And then in Matthew 22:37-38 Jesus replied, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. God considered this the first and greatest commandment. With such significance on the subject shouldn't we attempt to better understand it?
The best way to begin to understand love is to start with John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." If you've accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior you know this verse but let's take a look at it. God's love provided His Son as a sacrifice so that we could share a life with Him. Love is sacrificial. Not one definition I found describes love as sacrificial yet that is exactly what love is--no wonder we use it so casually, we don't understand it.
Romans 5:8 says, But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Back to Matthew 22, in verse 39 Jesus says, "And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself." Now Jesus tells us to love others like ourselves. It's interesting but no one has to tell us to love ourselves--we do this naturally. We have a bent on putting ourselves first - selfish desires, wants, etc. I firmly believe one of the reasons for so many divorces (inside of the church and outside of it) is because each person puts their desires above their spouses. According to Christ you are to put others first, i.e. your spouse.
My best friend was married a few weeks ago and it was a great ceremony but have you ever truly listened to the vows? When the rings are exchanged you hear, "love and honor in sickness and in health, in poverty or in wealth, 'til death do us part." This is a commitment to love in good times and bad. The reality is we don't comprehend the covenant that we make with another person. We must first fully love God, our Creator, before we can even begin to think about loving another person. Truth be told, we are incapable of loving another person on our own without Christ as they will fail us or disappoint us at some point. Only when we rest in the full assurance of the sacrificial love of our Savior Jesus Christ can we experience love with another human being.
For all of my married friends out there I pray that you would seek to love your spouse sacrificially and put them before yourself. For my single friends, love the Lord with everything you have and pour out His love on all that you encounter.
Desiring to love deeply and sacrificially from this day forward.
