Speaker: Darlene Sala | Series: Encouraging Words

I read the following on a wall plaque in a restaurant:
Love puts the fun in together
The sad in apart
The hope in tomorrow
The joy in a heart.
I like that. It’s true that love is what gives us joy in being together—whether in marriage, family or friendship. When we can’t be together with the ones we love, we’re sad, for love always desires closeness.  But because you love someone, you have hope that tomorrow will be better than today—an optimism which brings joy in your heart—that little bubble inside that makes life worth living.

What exactly is love? It’s hard to define, isn’t it. It’s true that love is an emotion—a passion. But it is much more than that. Love is a commitment to care.

When two people are attracted to each other, a spark ignites their relationship. At first, this may be intense, but it is only that—an intense attraction. It can’t truly be called love, because these two don’t really know each other yet. But as they spend time together and share their innermost selves and truly get to know each other, sometimes the attraction grows. They discover respect for each other’s ideas, common life goals, willingness to sacrifice for each other, and an ever growing desire to spend the rest of their lives together.

True love is unselfish.  In fact, if you want a description of true love, you can do no better than that famous chapter in the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13, which says, “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad 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 will last forever” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8, NLT). Now, that’s true love!