What is love? The actual meaning.

Love means different things to different people, just as life means different things to different people due to experiences and life itself. Is it a feeling or an expression or a being?….these questions come up, especially when you look beyond the academic or dictionary meaning of love. Love generally means an intense and deep affection for another person. Our ordinary understanding of love is majorly the physical aspect of it. 

 Before I start I want to wish you a happy valentines day my lovelies ❤️❤️❤️ I’m sending you love wherever you are and I appreciate the support you all gave me in my previous post. I honestly do not take any of you for granted. 

Now back to our discussion, formerly I used to be very desperate for love, in the sense that if I didn’t have someone to love or be with I felt empty. I always felt I had to be in love with someone to feel whole, but even after a while I always felt empty despite thinking I had found someone to love. We might experience this feeling of the need to be in love this season due to the oppression people in relationships will cause today. It’s valid to want to be loved, it’s a beautiful feeling. But, however, let me put something to you, do you know that no matter how much we crave just the ordinary or physical kind of love just to fill a void, we would still always feel empty. I’ve been there and done that, it actually took self-reflection and God to realize that there’s a higher kind of love that never makes you feel empty and never ends.

 In my personal bible study last week I got to understand the real definition of love, and I realized what I thought love was, is nothing compared to the true and actual meaning of love. In the amplified bible version, which says in 

  1 Corinthians 13:4 Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. 

1 Corinthians 13:5 It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. 

1 Corinthians 13:6 It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness but rejoices when right and truth prevail. 

1 Corinthians 13:7 Love bears up under anything and everything that comes is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].

 1 Corinthians 13:8 Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth].

The above bible verse gave me an insight into the God-kind of love. This kind of love is so beautiful and I want to love the God-kind of way. I mean talking about even when evil is done to you, love doesn’t see it. When we see our friends or peers prospering we don’t get jealous or envious, love is patient, it is humble, not boastful, doesn’t wish anyone wrong or evil, doesn’t think ill towards our fellow neighbors, and a whole lot more. God gives us this love because regardless of our shortcomings He always comes through for us. I cannot count the number of times I have fallen short of God’s glory and He still stood by me. It just shows how God’s love is not a one-time thing, His love lasts forever. I am praying for the grace to Love like God. To show everyone around me the God kind of love, that never fails. When you think about it, this love seems very impossible abi?, but let me shock you, God has told us to actually be a mirror image of Jesus, we should act like him, and that includes loving ourselves, our friends, parents, family, partners, neighbors just like He loves us. If Jesus and God can do it, so can I!!!

 Remember that at this moment, you might feel alone, especially for those that are single and you’re seeing other people’s partners doing things for them and you cannot say the same, I want us to remember that God’s love fills the void that you might feel. It gives a sense of peace and joy. Even when others are enjoying valentines day, let’s be happy for them. Cause by showing them our joy, when it reaches your time to experience it, there will be people who will rejoice with you. 

 1 John 3: 14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 

This verse talks about being born again, and if we can love our neighbors and fellow people, then we’re truly renewed. I want to employ us to show love today to everyone who comes your way, tell them you love them and God bless them. Your words can go a long way for people who are feeling heavy at heart. In as much as we celebrate valentines day with our partners, spouses, or lovers, let’s not forget our parents, call them up and just tell them you love them and God bless them. I want to love the God-kind way and for everyone to do the same. The physical kind of love seems good, but the God kind of love is deeper and the best. There’s someone in the bible that stood out to me, Job showed me a perfect example of someone who loved God, despite all he lost, he still told God he will trust in him. 

 Galatians 5: 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

 

 Galatians 5: 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 

 From the above, love can be seen to be the first Fruit of the spirit, even when you put love, faith, and hope on a hierarchy, the love of God supersedes both faith and hope, for without Love we cannot have faith and hope. Now I would say, I have learnt that the bible tells us to seek this type of love, and learning the meaning of God's kind of love, makes me excited ❤️.  

 1 Corinthians 14:1 EAGERLY PURSUE and seek to acquire [this] love [make it your aim, your great quest]; and earnestly desire and cultivate the spiritual endowments (gifts), especially that you may prophesy (interpret the divine will and purpose in inspired preaching and teaching).

 And I assure you that by learning about it and cultivating the habit, your life will feel more fulfilled and peaceful. Cause it is just right. 

 Thanks once again for reading, I love you all ❤️❤️❤️ Please share with your friends ❤️❤️❤️.