What is Love?

Our feelings/emotions are part of the "natural man", or as Webster puts it, "a psychic and physical reaction (as anger or fear) subjectively experienced and physiologically involving changes that prepare the body for immediate vigorous action".

Feelings and emotions are not unique to mankind. My dog Jake has feelings and emotions -- such as anger and fear. But, he does not have true (agape) love. In other words, he is unable to intellectually decide to make sacrifices for another. Christ said in John 15, "Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for a friend". That's not a "feeling". That's an action. That's DOING something.

We've all heard stories about dogs that have given their lives to save their master. If dogs did that based upon an intellectual choice, then they would have given true (agape) love according to Christ. Dogs will instinctively fight and die for their pack, however no thought is involved, therefore no sacrifice is made. It is instinctive behavior.

Some would say that true (agape) love is outside our ability -- that it is something we can only shoot for. This is an unfortunate paradigm. God gave us love to use, not shoot for. We can feed the hungry. We can care for widows and orphans. We can be "good Samaritans" if we choose to. We can mow our neighbor's yard when he's sick. We can "give in" and let our spouse have his or her way. All such deeds require us to sacrifice something -- and that defines the one and only true love (agape), (as demonstrated by Christ giving his life on the cross for us).

Love is not a feeling. Love is not an emotion. Love is not an attraction. Love is not any of these. Love is caring enough to give -- and giving is something we all can do. True love (agape) is something we all are capable of. Just give of yourself and you will have loved. It's that simple.

People consider love a wonderful thing -- and it is -- more than most people realize. It is the most wonderful thing in the universe. Scripture tells us that God is love -- so that means that love is God. When you give love to someone, you have given that person God.

Just let a stranger help us when he or she doesn't need to. It leaves its mark in a powerful way. That's because we have experienced real love, not some counterfeit emotion. In other words, we have experienced God.