What is love? Is it a chemical reaction between people? Or is it how we feel about our favorite TV show? Defining one of the most used, elusive words in the English language is hard.
Of course, love is a feeling of deep affection. You can love the ocean, your family, or a golden retriever puppy. You can even say that love is the act of putting others before yourself. But most of all—even Webster’s Dictionary points this out— love is God and God is love. Webster calls this a kind of personification of love, and yet it is even richer than that.
The best definition I can think of comes from 1 Corinthians 13: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy… love never fails.” The best way to see all those hallmarks of love is to look to Jesus. Look at His life, read His words, know who He is.
John urged us as dear friends to love one another because love is what comes from God (1 John 4:7). And “whoever does not love does not know God because God is love” (v. 8). He brought that love to life for us through His Son.