I really enjoyed what Alice had to share and challenge us with during the prayer meeting this past Wednesday. In order to love those around me, I think I need a better picture of how the Bible defines love. Here's what I found

1 John 3:16
"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."

John 13:34-35
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

1 Corinthians 13
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Luke 6:27-28
But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.


There's so much more than that as well but these are some that really stood out to me. One of the clear commands is to love as God loved us. That love is the greatest love of all, one that was willing to sacrifice even at the greatest expense for the good of those whom God loves. Do I love people that way? Am I willing to lay down my personal agenda for the good of others?

I also like the 1st Corinthians one because it gives a good measuring stick. It says that "Love is patient, love is kind....". So, am I patient? Am I kind? Am I jealous or boastful? Am I easily angered? Am I self-seeking? While uncomfortable, these are all things that I really need to examine in my own life.

Ah, and the hard one, loving my enemies. I feel like this ties into the whole "love as God loved us" part. I think it's in Romans but the Bible mentions that God loved us while we were still enemies. Even though we're innately sinful and God hates sin, He loved us. If God continues to love us even when we continually wrong him and yet we go about hating our enemies, what does that say about us? Ungrateful? Hypocritical? This is probably the one that I struggle with the most.

So I've quickly examined these four passages to try and gain a better understanding of how God wants us to love. I feel like I need to keep seeking answers though.