Some Virtues of Love

1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 NIV 

Misconception of Love

           Its funny how one thinks when the word love is spoken, but not look deeply into its virtues. If you should ask someone what is love or what does love look like, for most people the first thing that comes to mind is a couple together, or they may draw or carve the image of a red heart.  That is what love means to the secular world, they think that love involves two people who are ravishingly engrossed with emotions that are unexplained. 

The Bible’s Perspective on Love

            However, the scriptures seem to give a distinct perspective on love and how it should be displayed. In 1 Corinthians 13, the scriptures mentions some true virtues of love that some of us may be lacking in our temperament. For some, it took but a short space of time to work and act on these virtues, and for others it took them a long time trying to get things together and get them right. the truth is, when we have accomplished all of these, it is then that we start to see good results. We will start seeing our relationships with relatives and friends improve, it sets the pace for peace to abide when hatred, anger, jealousy, and strife just to name a few, is pushed out of the way.

Love in action

Love covers a multitude of sin (1 peter 4:8), and it puts a lot of things on the right path to enjoying life. Its time a lot of people start seeing love the way God sees it; being kind to someone is love, being patient when your spouse is upset about something is love. Celebrating with your friend’s achievement is love, putting your own needs aside for a change and helping someone in need is love. Need I say  more? by now you would have an idea of how love is depicted in the bible.

Real Meaning of Love

           The bible does not describe love as mere emotions, but more of an action. Love is what you do not what you feel, it goes beyond the boundaries of your feelings, faults, shortcomings and your status. Jesus displayed this perfectly by showing us that love is unconditional irrespective of who we are and what we have done, he still loves us. He hates the sin we commit, but it doesn’t stop him from loving us.

God’s Love

He loved us enough to die on the cross so that we may have life in him. Nothing shall separate us from God’s love (Romans 8: 38-39) that’s a promise. In the way Jesus showed love to us, he is expecting us to show love just the same, and to reach out to who we can. So the next time you think of love, don’t think of a red carved out heart with emotions attached to it, but think of a heart with actions that can melt the stony heart of people who have given up on love. Show them what true love from God means.