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So This is Love...

Full disclosure: I love Disney movies! One of the first Disney movies I remember watching is "Cinderella." While ultimately my favorite movie became "The Little Mermaid," this particular movie made a lasting impression.  It was the perfect fairy tale love story.  The poor, unwanted girl.  The handsome prince.  The fairy godmother.  What could possibly go wrong?  At the ball, the prince pauses mid-bow to notice the new arrival of a beautiful stranger.  They dance the whole evening while singing the featured ballad, "So This is Love."  

The scene goes something like this...

Paints quite a picture, doesn't it? One evening of dancing and singing about the miracle and key to heaven that they have finally achieved.  Don't get me wrong, I'm a hopeless romantic in many ways.  But after being married for a few years with a teenager and a pre-teen, I've learned that fairy tales are lovely stories.  But that's all they are.  

God knew that we would need a guide for true love.  So He sent it in the form of His only son, Jesus.  Then because humanity has a tendency to be hopeless romantics and believe the fairy tale over reality, the Apostle Paul has to clearly spell it out in 1 Corinthians 13.

 1If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it;[a] but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

Other scriptures go on to reveal that God loves us so much that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us, and no man has greater love in his heart than those who lay down their life for their friends. Who are you willing to die for? Your family? Your friends? God?  Many are eager to exclaim they would be willing to die for Christ, but can't even live for Him on a day to day basis. And it all comes down to LOVE. Let's take a look again at what real love looks like:

  • Love is PATIENT 
    • You don't get in a hurry or demand your way immediately at the expense of others
  • Love is KIND 
    • friendly, generous, considerate of others
  • Love is NOT JEALOUS 
    • being grateful for what you have and genuinely excited for those who have qualities or materials that you lack
  • Love is NOT BOASTFUL OR PROUD 
    • just don't brag... it isn't attractive
  • Love is NOT RUDE 
    • Pray for your enemies and bless those who curse you.  This includes those who try to demean others with hurtful words knowing that they may be stirring up bad feelings for someone they care about.
  • Love doesn't demand it's own way. 
    • And it certainly doesn't rant and pitch a fit when it doesn't get what it thinks it deserves.  
  • Love isn't IRRITABLE and KEEPS NO RECORD OF BEING WRONGED 
    • Let that grudge go.  You can't move forward if you keep looking back.
  • Love doesn't rejoice in INJUSTICE but DOES rejoice when the TRUTH wins. 
    • What are the facts and realities of the situation? Be a truth seeker.
  • Best part: 
    • LOVE NEVER QUITS! 
    • IT ALWAYS KEEPS HOPING!
    • IT KEEPS FIGHTING THROUGH EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE!

What a beautiful and clear definition of what true love looks like.  This goes beyond marriage.  Yes, these things are what make marriages successful (and good marriages take hard work and eliminating the "quit option").  But how do you feel about your family?  Your friends? The world?  Jesus said, "If you say you love Me, you'll keep my commands." Guess what... He only gave us two: LOVE GOD and LOVE OTHERS.  THIS is the miracle that I've dreamed of.  THIS is the key to Heaven on Earth. Love always wins. And THIS is LOVE.

© Jill Cook, Unbroken & Undone Ministries. All rights reserved.

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