Love. A word that is often heard, said from person to person, and thrown around in a way, but its true meaning is rarely understood. So what does love mean? Today I will discuss love and what it means to love another in God’s eyes.

First the love we receive from God for without God there would be no love and without his love we would never have had our sins forgiven. John 3:16 “for God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” This verse is often used but do we really give it a second thought? Do we fully understand the way God has expressed his love to us?

God loved us so much that he gave his only son. Romans 5:8 “but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us.” If we do not know our father and have a relationship with him we cannot know love. 1 John 3:1 “see what kind of love the father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” When we know God we know love and it is his love that we can now show to others.

God is love and through him we can truly know what it means to love one another. 1 John 4:7 “whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” When we develop a true relationship with God we get to experience the love of God and learn how to share this love with others. Romans 13:8 “owe no one anything, except to love each other, for one who has loved another has fulfilled the law.” It is in the commandments that we love one another as we do ourselves.

The Bible tells us exactly what love is in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 “love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” That is another often used verse but once again rarely thought about, have you asked yourself if you love the way the Bible says? When we love like God we help one another in times of need and struggle. Ephesians 4:2 “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.” Gods love shows us a whole new way to love one another, a way that is not just expressed in a simple word but shown through our actions toward one another.