Love – Characteristics of Love

 

Love – Characteristics of Love

 

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 – patient – kind – does not envy, does not boast, it is not proud, it is not rude, self-seeking, not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil, rejoices in truth. Always protects – trust – hopes – preserves. It never fails.

 

Romans 12:9-21 – Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil, cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourself. Never be lacking in zeal, keep your spiritual favor serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those that rejoice, mourn with those that mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud or conceited. Be willing to associate with people in low positions. Do not repay anyone evil for evil; be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. Live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge. If your enemy is hungry feed him, thirsty, give him something to drink. Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.

 

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

 

Share – With God’s people who are in need

Practice – Hospitality

Bless – Those who persecute you

Rejoice – With those who rejoice

Mourn – With those who mourn

Live – In harmony one with another

Associate – With people of low position

Hate – What is evil

Cling – To what is good

Honor – One another above yourself

Keep – Your spiritual favor, serving the Lord

Live – At peace with everyone

Overcome – Evil with good

 

This is what love is as defined by our Lord and Savior – do these and you will demonstrate love.

 

What does it mean to be?

 

Patient – enduring affliction or pain without anger or complaint, understanding, tolerant, steadfast, persevering.

Kind – warm hearted, friendly or generous in nature.

 

Easy – capable of being accomplished with ease, not difficult, free from worry, anxiety or pain.

 

Angered – a feeling of great displeasure or hostility.

 

Proud – feeling greatly pleased of satisfied, having too much self-esteem – arrogant.

 

Rude – ill mannered, discourteous, crude, abrupt.

 

Self – personal welfare, interest or advantage as in selfish.

 

Seeking – to try to search for, to try to reach, obtain.

 

Protect – to guard from harm, attack, injury, shield.

 

Trust – firm reliance in the honesty, dependability, strength, character of someone, one in which faith or confidence is placed.

 

Hopes – to want or wish for with a feeling of confident expectation or fulfillment.

 

Persevere – to persist in an idea, purpose or task despite obstacles.

 

Rejoice – to be joyful.

 

Truth – accordance with knowledge, fact or actuality.

 

Fail – to be unsuccessful, to disappoint or prove undependable, to be unsuccessful.

 

Delight – great joy or pleasure.

 

Evil – morally wrong, bad, wicked, causing harm or injury.

 

Boast – to speak with excessive pride especially about one’s own accomplishments, abilities, or possessions, brag.

 

Envy – discontented desire for someone else’s possessions or advantages.

 

Keep – to retain possession of.

 

Record – to set down for preservation in writing or other permanent form.

 

Wrongs – being in error, incorrect. Against moral standards or legal code. Not needed wanted or intended, unsuitable or inappropriate. Something that is unjust, injurious or immoral. The state of being mistaken or at fault.

 

Always – at every instant, at any time, for all time, forever.

 

Never – not ever, not at all.

 

Ever –at all times, always, at any time, in any possible way or case.

 

Do or Does – to perform, accomplish, to carry out the requirements of, fulfill. To bring about, effect. To create, compose or make.

 

Not – too no degree, in no manner or way.

 

Share – to participate in, experience, or use in common.

 

Need – a lack of something necessary, useful or desirable.

 

Practice – a habit, custom or method of doing something. To do repeatedly in order to acquire proficiency.

 

Hospitality – treating guests with warmth and generosity.

 

Bless – to confer wellbeing or prosperity upon.

 

Persecute – to harass in a way that causes suffering.

 

Rejoice – to be joyful.

 

Mourn – to express or feel sorrow, grieve.

 

Live – to reside, to be or continue to be alive.

 

Harmony – accord or agreement as of feeling or opinion.

 

Associate – to join in relationship, a colleague or partner, companion, comrade.

Hate – to feel animosity or hostility toward, detest.

 

Evil – morally wrong, bad,

causing harm, injurious.

 

Cling – to hold tight, adhere.

 

Good – having desirable or favorable qualities, suitable, appropriate.

 

Honor – esteem, respect. A person of superior status.

 

Above – in or to a higher place or position.

 

Keep – to retain possession of.

 

Fervor – emotional intensity.

 

Spiritual – Spirit – the part of a human being associated with the feelings and the mind. A vital or animating force, soul. Of, relating to or having the nature of a spirit.

 

Peace – the absence of hostilities, state of harmony.

 

Everyone – every Person.

 

Overcome – to conquer, defeat, to prevail, surmount.

 

Hunger – a strong need or desire for food, a strong craving.

 

Thirst – a dry feeling in the mouth related to a wish to drink.

 

Give – to make or present to, to furnish or provide.

 

Lack – an absence or deficiency, need. To be without or have little of.

 

Zeal – enthusiastic and intense interest as in a cause or ideal.

 

Sincere – not deceitful or hypocritical, honest, genuine, true.

 

Repay – to pay back, to give in return.

Conceited – unduly proud of oneself, vain.

 

Curse – to swear, to use profanity.

 

Revenge – to impose or inflict injury in return, avenge.

 

Joyful – great happiness or delight.

 

Careful – a source of solitude or attention.

 

Right – that which is ethical, good, just or proper.

 

Affliction – to inflict physical or mental suffering on.

 

Faithful – supportive, loyal, worthy of trust or belief consistent with fact.

 

Prayer – an expression especially of devout petition addressed to God. Devoted – showing ardent attachment or loyalty.

 

Brotherly –a fellow man or woman.

 

Enemy – one who seeks to harm another.

 

Must – used to indicate necessity or obligation, certainty or inevitability or insistence.

 

What – which thing, event, kind, character.

 

Willing – done, accepted or given readily and voluntarily. Favorably inclined, ready.

 

Serve – to supply service to, to prepare or offer. To be a servant.

 

There are 72 different definitions I looked up that have something to do with love. All of these are characteristics or traits of a loving person.

 

Love – Intense affection, a feeling of attraction resulting from sexual desire. Enthusiasm or fondness. A beloved person.

 

This is the definition of love given to us from the dictionary.

 

Do you think this is what God had in mind when he asked us to love him with all our mind and body and love our neighbor as our self?

 

I don’t think so.

 

That is why he instructed us on what love is in these two sections of the bible.

 

Study these, review these and there will be no confusion.

 

Is there any wonder why so many of us are confused about the meaning of love.

 

Love as an intense affection.

 

Intense – extreme in degree, strength or effect. Deep, profound, marked by great concentration or strain.

 

Affection – a fond or tender feeling towards someone.

 

Attraction – Attract – to cause to draw near. To draw to oneself by an appealing quality. To allure or be alluring – the act or capability of attracting. An attractive feature or characteristic.

 

Result – to happen or exist as a consequence, outcome. To end in a particular way.

 

Sexual – of, relating to, or involving sex, the sexes, or sex organs.

 

Sex – sexual intercourse – sexual union between human beings generally involving physical union of sexual organs.

 

Desire – to hope or wish for ardently, crave, to ask for, request.

 

So love as defined by man is an intense affection, a feeling of attraction resulting from sexual desire.

 

That is what love is?

 

That is not love, I don’t know what that is, but it is not love.

 

It is sad, that is what it is. Man links love to sex.

Our world educates and teaches our young that love is intense affection (lust) that results in sexual intercourse.

 

God must really be shaking his head on this one.

 

As for me and my house we choose our Heavenly Father’s definition.