What Is Love?

Today, we’re asking one of life’s biggest questions: What is love?

It’s something everyone talks about — we sing about it, we chase it, we celebrate it — but how often do we stop and really define it?

In 1 Corinthians 13, we find that love isn’t just an emotion or a feeling. It’s a choice — a lifestyle. “Love is patient, love is kind.” It doesn’t demand its own way. It’s not proud or rude or selfish. It’s steady, even when life isn’t.

And maybe that’s the point. God’s kind of love isn’t measured by how much it feels good, but by how much it stays faithful. That’s the kind of love that changes hearts, heals wounds, and holds families together.

So, think about this: what would it look like if your love reflected the heart of God today? Not perfect, not polished — but patient, kind, and full of grace.

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 (NLT)

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Being a reflection of God… big shoes to fill, isn’t it? But we are called to love as God loved and also to grow to be more like Him.

Growing to become more like God means for us to learn who He is, learn from Him, and then adapt what we have learned.

Have you ever met someone and thought, Wow, I really liked the way they handled that — or did that — or anything — and from that point on, you start to do the same thing?

That is how we learn to be the reflection of Christ. We read the Bible; we learn God’s character and try to live life following those things. We can also learn about God from others and how they handle things as well.

God is love, and when we can learn what that really means, we can better adopt that and live like that.

In the Bible, love is primarily defined as agape — a selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional love that is an action, not just an emotion.

We know that God demonstrated His love for us by sending Jesus to be a sacrifice.

We, as Christ followers, should reflect love through our actions. We should do unto others and love our neighbors as ourselves.

We can get caught up in the emotional side of love and forget that we should love no matter how we feel. That is how we demonstrate God’s love to others.

It’s not about agreeing with someone or even having a connection, but more about seeing others as God does and loving regardless.

It is hard to show the kind of love we are talking about today. This is an unconditional love — one with no bounds, but yet there are boundaries.

That’s why it’s hard. We are to love no matter what — by our actions and by our words — not necessarily by acceptance.

We can love others and respect others but not accept some of the things they choose to do.

For example, let’s say someone we love steals something. Now, we still love this person, but we do not accept or approve of this action, and we let them know in a loving way that we don’t and why we don’t. With that, we have set a boundary.

God says to love others; He doesn’t say to pacify or enable them. Love the way God loves — which is through the choice to love.

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 (NLT) Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Let’s go back to that first phrase — “Love is patient.”

Patience is hard, isn’t it? It means waiting when you’d rather move on, holding back when you want to react, trusting God’s timing when yours feels off.

That’s the love God shows us every single day. He doesn’t rush us to get it all right. He waits for us, teaches us, and walks beside us.

Maybe you’ve been praying about something for a long time — a child who’s wandered, a relationship that feels strained, a dream that hasn’t happened yet. God’s love says, “Don’t give up.”

Real love, the kind that lasts, is always willing to wait.

I think we have all seen a movie where someone in a romantic relationship says at some point that they would wait for them no matter how long it takes.

I think that is what we seek out and want. We want that someone who will say, “I will wait for you.”

Well, guess what — God is the One saying that, and He has always said that. There is a parable telling how the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine for the one, and then another where the father waits for the son to return home — and when he comes, he runs out to meet him and then celebrates him.

Friend, God loves you more than you can think or imagine, and He is the One saying — and truly meaning — that He will wait for you. He is always pursuing you, waiting for you to realize your need for Him.

God is patient, and He loves you.

I think I’ve about decided that God’s tolerance and patience go far beyond anything I could ever attain.

I’ve gotten much better — and having children will do that to you — but still, I’ll never be able to grasp the patience God has.

Can you imagine it? Over and over and over again — like a seventy times seven kind of “again” — we mess up, and yet God’s love and patience never waver. It is the same and everlasting.

We ask God to give us patience, and we learn it and receive it through Him, and I’ve about decided that when He gives us patience, it is like Him strengthening us. It is all through the Holy Spirit and nothing we can ever truly attain on our own.

I’m thankful for God’s love and patience — and I’m really thankful for it when I screw up over and over again.

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 (NLT) Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

“Love keeps no record of wrongs.” That’s one of the hardest lines in all of Scripture, isn’t it?

We live in a world that keeps score. We remember who hurt us, who disappointed us, who didn’t show up. But love — God’s kind of love — chooses to forgive.

Forgiveness doesn’t say what happened was okay. It says, “I’m releasing this because God’s grace is bigger than my pain.”

Maybe today, love looks like letting go. Maybe it’s forgiving someone who hasn’t asked for it or choosing not to bring up that mistake again. When we forgive, we make space for healing — in our hearts, and sometimes in the hearts of others too.

That’s what love does. It restores what bitterness breaks.

No matter what is happening, we need to strive to honor and glorify God.

Sometimes we are faced with things, and they can cause big emotions and big words, but when we respond in a way that is filled with peace and love, we are making a powerful choice and statement. We are choosing to honor and glorify God.

We want others to see Christ in us, and when we demonstrate that in every way, then we are showing where our heart is. We are showing that we are living to please God more than ourselves.

There are a lot of things that we cannot change, but we can always change ourselves.

Choose to show the love of God to others by thinking about the best way to please Him.

Love is a choice just as much as being patient and kind is a choice. That’s why our scripture of 1 Corinthians 13:4–7 says “Love is…” — you have to choose to love first, and all the others will follow.

I’ve noticed that when I choose to love no matter what, I am, in fact, more patient and kinder and less jealous and irritable. This has helped me to process better, to speak out of discernment, to act and respond better, and just be all around more compassionate and willing.

When we focus on loving as God loves, it can change a lot about how we deal with things — and that is what others are watching the most.

So, let’s all ask the Lord to help us to love as He loves every day.

Here’s something to carry with you:

Love isn’t something you fall into — it’s something you live out.

Every small act of kindness, every gentle word, every moment of patience — those are the ways we show God’s love to the world.

And remember, you are loved with that same kind of love.

A love that never gives up on you.

A love that always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.

That’s what love is. And it’s the greatest thing we could ever give — or receive.