What is Love? February 11

Valetine's Day is this Saturday and "Love is in the Air!"

But, what is love?

We saw a monster of a squeaky Barry White music video!

Love is a Choice

Ephesians 5:33 "However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband."

A great resource on the issue of love and respect is Dr. Emmerson Eggerichs' book "Love and Respect" and website: http://www.loveandrespect.com/

LOVE: Making the choice everyday to treat them with love and respect.
LOVE: Giving someone what they need the most when they deserve it the least
LOVE: Committing to being committed and choosing to work on your own attitudes and habits.
LOVE: Doing your best to be selfless and serve one another.
LOVE: Conscious choice we must make because there are many times when we don't "feel" like loving.
LOVE: An unconditional commitment to an imperfect person.
LOVE: What is left in a relationship after selfishness is removed
LOVE: Is action that knows that the feeling will often have to catch up later
LOVE: Is commanded by God to love Him, love your spouse, love your neighbor, and even love your enemy!

We saw the AFV's "Love Boat." According to their formula people can fall in and out of love several times in a 30 minute episode! But is that real love?

Real love is a choice.

LOVE IS NOT: A feeling; they come and go and may or may not accompany our love
LOVE IS NOT: Perfect circumstances
LOVE IS NOT: A reaction to how the other person treats you

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 "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'S SOURCE: God is love. The greatest expression is JESUS. Jesus' love is a love so profound that He died for us - took our place on the cross. And we didn't even deserve it! Until we can grasp this love of our Father, we are not capable of truly loving another.

1 John 4:7-12 "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."

The ability to love our spouse and others comes from a love relationship with God. We are incapable without his indwelling Spirit to love another the way He does.