I have some thoughts to share with you concerning love. We so easily become confused about what love is and often identify it as something it cannot be. When this happens, we become vulnerable to being hurt, or hurting others. I was listening to my pastor, Dr. Tom Peters in a recent Sunday service. He read from 1 John, Chapter 4:7-8, which speaks about the qualities of love. It says, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. {8} He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. {9} In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.”
Dr. Peters finished his sermon with 1 Corinthians 13:8, which tells us “Love never fails.” As he was speaking, I began to think about love. (I have given a great deal of thought about love for a number of years.) Here are some truths I want to share with you that came back to me as I was listening to my pastor. First, love is of God. Second, God is love. Third God loves us. Now, that is a great, unshakable combination. Focus for a moment on the first two. Love is of God and God is love. You can always judge if you have love by whether it is of God and seeing if it correctly describes His character and person. Take a moment, think about what I just said, and consider both your actions and those of others. Do they meet the qualifications for God’s kind of love? If not, perhaps you need to rethink what you have accepted as love.