With Valentine’s Day this past week there has been a lot of “Love” in the air. But, really. What is Love??? Do we have genuine love for our mate, for our family, or even our friends??? And what about strangers we pass on the streets? How deep do our convictions for those around us go? Join me as we dig a little deeper!
LOVE as defined by Miriam Webster
LOVE
First Definition of Love per the Miriam-Webster Dictionary
noun
\ ˈləv \
Definition of love
(Part of Entry 1 of 2)
1a(1): strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties; maternal love for a child
(2): attraction based on sexual desire : affection and tenderness felt by lovers; After all these years, they are still very much in love.
(3): affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests; love for his old schoolmates
And that’s just a part of the full definition. It’s actually quite a list! But, for the purposes here I decided to keep the reference quote short. For most of us, the aspects of love defined is what we most identify with. But, there are obviously a few more descriptions of the different layers in which Love exists. Really.
I didn’t realize there were so many facets to Love in the English language! You can see the full definition here. I mean, yes, I did know there were a lot of layers to the differing types of “Love”. But, just according to Miriam Webster, there are categories and sub-categories coming to a grand total of twenty-one. Just… Wow.
Love according to the Holy Bible
Then there is love as referenced in the Holy Bible. Doing a quick word search of the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible on BibleGateWay.com returns a total of 504 scriptures that include the word “Love”. To break it down a bit further, “Love” is mentioned in the Old Testament 267 times, and in the New Testament 237 times.
The Old testament book with the most mentions is the Psalms with 48; click here to view. In the New Testament, 1 John wins out with a count of 27: click here to view them. But, 1 Corinthians 13 is known as the “Love” chapter.
The Best Meaning of Love
By far the best meaning of love I have found is in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a. It involves a pretty long list of what love is and is not. Love, among other things, is enduring, believing, and hoping. Love is not, among other things, rude, boasting, or envying. The highly descriptive text ends with “Love Never Fails”.
Deeper Still
Yet, beyond all the analytical meanings of the word. To me, the truth of Love is really in how we display it. Whether it be the Love for our life mate, or love for our fellow man. If there is no action, there is no love.
It all boils down to how we treat others. Our love in action. I think a good barometer to those actions is to ask ourselves what would happen if others treated us that same way. What would you think if your were treated the same way you treat others? So, how do you treat your family? How do you treat strangers? Would you be angry if your same actions were used on you? Would you?
A phrase struck me a few years ago. “Everyone is ultimately a soul God loves.” Couple that with that, as a Christian, I am to be “showing God’s love” to all those around me. Wow. If you’re a follower of Christ, then this includes you. There is literally no one to eliminate from the list of who we should show “Love” to. No one.
The tough part is in letting ourselves be transformed in our thinking to the point that we can actually treat everyone else in a truly loving manner. In a manner that will truly impact their lives for the better. THAT is truly showing love.
“The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. And that’s what you’ve given me. That’s what I’d hoped to give you forever.” ―Nicholas Sparks
From article on ThoughtCatalog.com
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I feel it would be best to rename Valentine’s Day as Chocolate Candy Day. Then again, every day is Chocolate Candy Day.
You’re speaking my language! Daily chocolate consumption is a must. 🤜🤛