Š 2010 - 2010 Anointed Fire Magazine- AnointedFire.com
What Is Love Anyway? by Timothy Ward
When we think of love and its meaning, we come up with many different definitions and ideas. Is it a feeling, a choice, or something else? If you asked 100 different people to define love, you would probably get 100 different answers. I want to share some revelation that I received recently in regards to this subject. I pray you gain a new understanding of what it is to love. Is It A Feeling? If you ask people how they know they are in love, many will give you an answer based upon feelings. They might say that their heart beats faster, or that they have butterflies in their stomach, whenever they are around that special someone(spouse). True, these are feelings, but is that as deep as it gets? Are feelings all that you have to base your relationship upon? Relationships must be deeper than mere feelings. It takes time to develop and grow in love. The problem with feelings is that feelings will change based on circumstances and situations. If that person hurts you in some way, your feelings turn from butterflies to anger and bitterness. If you are having a bad day, that will come out in how you treat your spouse. FEELINGS ARE INTERNAL REACTIONS TO EXTERNAL CIRCUMSTANCES! Do not allow yourself to be ruled by your feelings. They will cause you to make decisions you normally would not make. Do not allow yourself to make permanent decisions based upon temporary problems. That is why we must know what love truly is. It is most definitely more than just a feeling. Is It A Choice? Being totally honest with you, I was one in this category, until recently. I always felt like love was a choice. I had to consciously make the decision and effort to love the other person. It is not always easy, and I definitely did not always feel like it. But, I know I am not by myself. We all have been in this place in our relationships. When you look in the Bible at 1 Corinthians 13 (The Love Chapter), we find what Scripture says about love. Page 2 of 4 Š 2010 - 2011 Anointed Fire Magazine- AnointedFire.com All Rights Reserved
Charity (love) suffereth long (patient), and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth If we look at these verses, all of these would be classified as choices we make if we say we love. Being patient is not a feeling, we have to make a conscious decision to be patient. None of us, if we are honest, like to wait. We want it now. Everything in these verses must be a choice. We have an option. We can be patient, or not. We can be kind or we can be cruel. We can be jealous, or we can trust. We can put others first, or we can be selfcentered. We can be polite, or we can be rude. We can put others needs before our own, or we can insist on our way. We can let things go, or we can choose to get angry. We can look for the good in others, or we can point out their faults. It is not our place to judge anyone. We are to walk in love. Scripture tells us: Matthew 5:44-48 - But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh the sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth forth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Love Is To Be Our Nature! But how are we to be perfect? We can only be perfect, in love, when we truly understand what love really is. We know from Scripture that God is love. 1John 4:8 - He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 1 John 4:16,17 - And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. We are made perfect in love by walking in love with others. As God is, so are we in this world. In other words, we need to have the character and nature of God, in this world. What is the character and nature of God? Look back at 1 Corinthians 13 again. These verses describe the very essence of God. It is more than feelings or a choice we make. Love is to be our very nature, like God. If we do not love others, we are deceiving ourselves because if we love God we will love others. Look at this Scripture: 1 John 4:20,21 - If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. Page 3 of 4 Š 2010 - 2011 Anointed Fire Magazine- AnointedFire.com All Rights Reserved
We are commanded to love our fellow man if we truly love God. It is not an option. Honestly, unless we have the character and nature of God, we would not be able to love our enemies. Love is to become our nature, and a way of life. Walking in love is an outward expression to non-Believers, that we belong to Christ. It is also a demonstration to God that we love Him. God never gave up on us. He loved us in spite of ourselves. He loved us even when we did not love Him or accept Him into our lives. He was willing to give His only Son to be our substitute on the cross, so that we could have eternal life and live with Him. And Jesus came willingly and lovingly laid down His life for us. That is an awesome demonstration of love. John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 15:12,13 - This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. We now understand, what is love anyway? Love is the very nature and character of God. It is to be our nature, our character, and our lives through Jesus Christ. It is only when we love others the way that Jesus loves us, that we will be able to change the hearts of men. It is when we walk in the love of God that we will be able to minister to, witness to, and be an example to those who do not believe. So, walk in love with the people around you. Demonstrate Jesus to them. Love them right where they are at. Accept them as someone Jesus died for, and have compassion on them. Jesus loved each of us, and willingly gave his life for us. We should be willing to give our lives back to Him, through loving the people He places into our lives. I pray that this has given you a little more understanding of Love.
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