Love Defined!

Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, Doesn’t have a swelled head, Doesn’t force itself on others, Isn’t always “me first,” Doesn’t fly off the handle, Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, Doesn’t revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end. 1 Corinthians 13:6-‬7 MSG

Nollywood, Hollywood, Bollywood and all the other -wood seem to have different interpretations of the word Love. We see actors/actresses with 'stars of love' in their eyes. Several authors have written novels and pieces on the timeless topic of love. Several people in different fora have tried to define it too, but the more man tries to explain it, the more confused man gets. The reason is simple- love was never meant to be understood as a term or an idea; it is understood from the perspective of the One who is called Love himself. Man will always fail to explain whatever he does not fully understand, and only the help of the One who is the embodiment of Love can help us understand what it means and how it affects our lives.

Let us review the definitions of love given in our extract below. There is a picture of persistence, putting others first, contentment, humility, level-headedness, not easily angered, keeps no record of wrong, takes pleasure in truth, and several others. As I look at all these, I keep remembering all the false imitations and pretensions we called love while growing up. We saw love from the narrow prism of what a man shared with a woman, or probably the deep feelings shared between parent and child. However, as I read the above again, it is apparent that love is much more.

It is not first a feeling, therefore it is not subject to the emotions. You cannot truly stop loving simply because you don't feel like it. It is also not just an act which you carry out and people see. It is not what people around you call it or how the media space explains it, but how God defines it. Go back to the extract and decode who fits the description perfectly. Jesus alone does. His life is a testament to the definition and expression of love. Loved us when we rejected him, came to earth in our form to identify with our weaknesses, yet we rejected him. He died on the cross yet while on the cross, he was being mocked. His sacrifice was offered when the beneficiaries of the grace didn't care about him, yet he persisted. He was despised and rejected. He gave his life and all for unloving, unappreciative man.

This is where God's view is different- man always seeks reciprocity. He always wants to get back what he gives, and he is cross when the object of his 'love' does not return the feeling. God has given us the highest expression of love- Jesus Christ. He's holding him out today as his own expression of love. What would be your response? Will you keep holding on to false impressions or would you hold on to the real deal? His time of favour is here.