14 Truths About Love

The Bible has quite a bit to say about love. You won’t have to read very far from Genesis to Revelation to see the Bible either discussing love, showing God’s love for His children, or instructing us, the reader, on how to love. God in essence is love. His very being is love. Everything He does is defined in love. The very Bible itself is a love letter from God to His people. It is difficult to wrap our heads around that much love sometimes. The God of the universe wanted a relationship with you and me so much that He created us knowing that His son would have to be the ultimate sacrifice for our sin. I don’t know about you, but I think that is an intense kind of love. 

Now, if you were an enemy of God, such as Satan, wouldn’t you spend your time convincing people that that kind of love doesn’t exist? If Satan can’t convince you that kind of love doesn’t exist, then wouldn’t he spend time convincing you it is not a pure love. God is absolutely good. He has no sin or evil or disease to give you. God cannot give you sickness and tell you He did it to teach you something. That is not pure love. We have sickness, disease and evil things happen because we live in a fallen world. God can use any hand dealt to you to guide you and further your relationship with Him, but that would not be how He would choose to teach you something and call it love. Satan is the author of deception and anything bad. He will come to you and try to convince you those bad experiences were all from God because that is the kind of father He is. I would like to argue that that kind of father would be considered an abusive type of father. Friends, that is why it is so important to read our Bible. When we are constantly filling our soul and spirit and mind with truth, evil and deceptions are easier to spot. 

1 Corinthians 13 is what some call the love chapter. Paul, the author of I Corinthians breaks down the characteristics of love in this chapter. In verses 4 – 7 there are 14 characteristics of love listed. You can look at these scriptures in any translation, and it would be powerful. For this list I use The Passion Translation.

1. Vs 4 Love is large and incredibly patient. 
2. Vs 4 Love is gentle and consistently kind to all.
3. Vs 4 It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else.
4. Vs 4 Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance.
5. Vs. 5 Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect.
6. Vs. 5 Nor selfishly seek its own honor.
7. Vs. 5 Love is not easily irritated
8. Vs. 5 Or quick to take offense
9. Vs. 6 Love joyfully celebrates honesty
10. Vs 6 And finds no delight in what is wrong
11. Vs 7 Love is a safe place of shelter
12. Vs 7 for it never stops believing the best for others
13. Vs 7 Love never takes failure as defeat
14. Vs 7 for it never gives up. 

When you read this passage and look at the list of truths about love, it is also beneficial to read it with God or Jesus instead of the word love. God is love. It is His defining characteristic. So if you read this passage understanding that this is a description of God and how He feels about us and treats us, it is eye opening on how much He truly cares for us. Remember, God is absolutely good. He wants the best for us. He wants us to feel secure and safe wrapped in His arms. He is kind and patient and is our safe place of shelter. He also never gives up on us. I believe understanding the way God our Father loves us is a profound cornerstone in discovering our identities in Christ. 

If you have an understanding that God truly loves you and is not disappointed in you or discouraged by you or wants to shame you, it brings a whole new perspective on how God loves. The reason God declares war on sin is because it is used to separate us from God’s love. Listen friend, there is a very big difference here. God did not declare war on us. He declared war on sin. He is looking at our sin and saying please give me that. It is destroying you. I sent my son to die for you so that sin would not destroy you. I want to have a relationship with you, but that sin is serving as a wall between us. I have so much better for you. I believe that is what it means when the scripture says that God is a God of love not of shame. Sin is sin and it all serves to separate us from the love of Christ. The Bible says in 1John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” There is no sin too big that God will not forgive, and there is no sin too little that God doesn’t want to hear about. Jesus died for them all, and the blood He shed covers us. 

Now taking it a step further and challenging us, we can read this list in 1 Corinthians 13 with our name inserted instead of love. We are created in the image of God. That means we were not only created to love God and be loved by Him. We were created to love those around us as well. Sometimes love looks endlessly patient and sometimes love looks like telling the truth to others without shaming them. Sometimes love looks like celebrating others when they receive the very blessing we have been praying for. Ultimately it is putting others before us knowing that God will supply everything we need and more as we walk closely with Him. 

I invite you to first read this list of 14 truths about love with God’s name instead of love. Ask Him to give you a deeper revelation of how He loves you as you read. Then, I invite you to read the list with your name inserted instead of the word love. Try not to read it as a checklist or areas where you are passing and failing. Read it as God’s heart for you and how He wants you to express that to others. As you allow God to love you, it will be much easier to turn and love those around you. Remember friend, God is always for us, never against us. Even in His corrections, He is unbelievably kind. Allow the Lord to express His love toward you and watch how your perspective on yourself and those around you change!

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