What Is Love?

It seems to me that lots of people these days are talking about love. There are those who seem to be excusing their choices because "they love each other." Then there are those who think that showing love means making sure that everyone has the same amount/chances/choices/etc. I have heard people talk about love as it is a gift to be used for bribery or manipulation. There also seem to be a number of churches that have stopped preaching the law and are only preaching about Christ's love and acceptance of us all. LOVE seems to be the buzz word these days. 

When I use the online concordance to look at the word "love" in the Bible, it tells me that there are 686 entries that use the word LOVE. That is a lot of love! There are verses about the love God has for you, the love between a man and his wife, the love between family members and much more. However, I didn't see in any of those verses where we can excuse our actions because of love or where love equals equality or where it is suggested that using love for manipulation is a good idea. Most of the examples of love I see are of sacrificial and sustaining love.

We love our children! But, what is love? Well, here a some practical applications of what I feel love is. -Love is allowing your child to try something new, like jumping off the third step; however, it is also not allowing them to jump from the top of the entire flight of stairs. 

-Love is allowing your child to work out their problems; however, it is also giving them advice and guiding them along the way.

-Love is allowing your child to face the consequences of their choices; however, it is also forgiving them and helping them to move past their mistakes.

-Love is setting boundaries for your child that will keep them safe; however, it is also expanding the boundaries as they grow and can handle more responsibility.

-Love is providing your child with the things they NEED; however it is also not giving them all the things they WANT. 

-Love is not getting something YOU want to provide something for your child; however it is also helping your child understand that sometimes they can't have something THEY want to provide something for someone else.

I am truly struggling with how I am seeing LOVE portrayed in the world today. How can a kidnapper say he tied someone up for ten years because he loves them? How can a parent expose children to violence, sex and drugs and then stand in court and say they need to keep their children because they love them? How can so many justify the killing of one because they love the other? 

In my opinion, we have lost sight of what love is. We as a people seem to have manipulated love and have turned it into whatever works well for us. I pray that as we continue to raise our children that God will bless us with the wisdom to show them how to truly love....sacrificial and sustaining love!