What is L.O.V.E.? (Matthew 22:36-40)

[GosDontez]

Commands. Laws. Rules. Controls. Borders. Boundaries. All predicated on one simple concept: How things work.

This may be a trivial inquiry, but if this "love" thing is the greatest commandment, then doesn't it need to be DEFINED? If it can't, then how do we know we're doing it right?

So what do you think love is and how is it properly performed?

 

[razzelflabben]

Commands. Laws. Rules. Controls. Borders. Boundaries. All predicated on one simple concept: How things work.

This may be a trivial inquiry, but if this "love" thing is the greatest commandment, then doesn't it need to be DEFINED? If it can't, then how do we know we're doing it right?

So what do you think love is and how is it properly performed?

Many people go to I Cor. 13 to define Biblical love but that is a list of characteristics not a definition.

I have been in deep study of Biblical love for about 11 years now and this is the best definition we (my husband and I can come up with)

Love is putting another person above yourself in an act of humility creating a covenant whose intent/purpose is reconciliation/restoration.

By contrast, worldly love is a strong positive emotion.

 

[razzelflabben]

By the way as per the poll, Biblical love is emotion, action, attitude and more.

 

[A_Thinker]

Commands. Laws. Rules. Controls. Borders. Boundaries. All predicated on one simple concept: How things work.

This may be a trivial inquiry, but if this "love" thing is the greatest commandment, then doesn't it need to be DEFINED? If it can't, then how do we know we're doing it right?

So what do you think love is and how is it properly performed?

Three words ....

GOOD for ALL

 

[Halbhh]

...shortened below

 

[dysert]

I would hope that love is not an emotion. Emotions change like the wind.

 

[Coleton Bryce Ritmanich]

Commands. Laws. Rules. Controls. Borders. Boundaries. All predicated on one simple concept: How things work.

This may be a trivial inquiry, but if this "love" thing is the greatest commandment, then doesn't it need to be DEFINED? If it can't, then how do we know we're doing it right?

So what do you think love is and how is it properly performed?

Love is an action, like another said, I Corinthians 13, describes the characteristics of love, and even Jesus himself said there is no greater love than to die for a friend, so to answer your questions...

If love is defined by actions, because most if not all of the characteristics mentioned in I Corinthians 13 are actions, not feelings, then I would assume that love itself is an action. If you don't have the definition of something, you look for the synonyms and examples of it.

Then every time you match those characteristics, e.g. every time you forgive and don't keep records of wrongdoing, or every time you are patient with someone, or every time you rejoice in the truth, and not in iniquity, etc. etc. You are doing the action of love.

The greatest of which would be to die for someone.

I hope that helps.

 

[Halbhh]

Commands. Laws. Rules. Controls. Borders. Boundaries. All predicated on one simple concept: How things work.

This may be a trivial inquiry, but if this "love" thing is the greatest commandment, then doesn't it need to be DEFINED? If it can't, then how do we know we're doing it right?

So what do you think love is and how is it properly performed?

We have a precise command though --

"Love your neighbor as yourself"

The command to me is to love the unique way I want to be loved.

If I prefer friendly greetings from neighbors, I am commanded to do friendly greetings. In a situation where I'd want a specific action, I am to do that action.

Love is action and feeling. It isn't ok for me to act like I am loving a neighbor only in appearance but actually disregard them entirely in my inner thoughts/feelings.

Love for me includes effort to accomplish good regard towards them inside, such as to appreciate them or at least have kind thoughts towards them, thus 'feelings' are involved also.

For someone you've been at odds with (however minor or large, either way), "love your enemy" for me means that I work to achieve sympathy for their point of view. That's actually a first step that is a great aid.

 

[Coleton Bryce Ritmanich]

We have a precise command though --

"Love your neighbor as yourself"

The command to me is to love the unique way I want to be loved.

If I prefer friendly greetings from neighbors, I am commanded to do friendly greetings.

Love is action and feeling. It isn't ok to act like you are loving your neighbor but actually hate them or condemn them in your feelings.

Love for me includes effort to accomplish good regard towards them inside, such as to appreciate them or at least have kind thoughts towards them, thus 'feelings' are involved also.

I agree, It takes feelings to be able to do the action of love. Otherwise, I would have been saying, die for someone, without the emotion it takes to want to die for someone, I was just trying to explain the action side of it, I thought the emotion side was implied.

How am I supposed to die for someone if I don't feel the emotion of love behind the action?

 

[Halbhh]

I agree, It takes feelings to be able to do the action of love. Otherwise, I would have been saying, die for someone, without the emotion it takes to want to die for someone, I was just trying to explain the action side of it, I thought the emotion side was implied.

How am I supposed to die for someone if I don't feel the emotion of love behind the action?

Well, we can't anticipate every possible situation of course, but in that extreme situation, we do need some kind of faith like that I think.

 

[Halbhh]

Many people go to I Cor. 13 to define Biblical love but that is a list of characteristics not a definition.

I have been in deep study of Biblical love for about 11 years now and this is the best definition we (my husband and I can come up with)

Love is putting another person above yourself in an act of humility creating a covenant whose intent/purpose is reconciliation/restoration.

By contrast, worldly love is a strong positive emotion.

I think the best wording of all could be the rule Christ gave us about all action --

"So in everything, do to others as you would have them do to you, for this sums up the law and the prophets."

For me, instead of 'above' my interest, it's helps me that I see them as myself. I love them as myself. But your wording is useful, in that in some situations, it is indeed helpful to give a person a special regard like that, lifting them up, as they need. As we'd want if we were in their shoes in that moment.

 

[dysert]

The problem with feelings being in the mix is that there are plenty of folks (myself included) who are "feelings impaired" for whatever reason. We are still commanded to love, but we don't "feel" anything. That's why I think love is technically just an action because you don't need to feel something in order to exercise love. (Feelings make it easier, of course, but they're not necessary.)

 

[Halbhh]

The problem with feelings being in the mix is that there are plenty of folks (myself included) who are "feelings impaired" for whatever reason. We are still commanded to love, but we don't "feel" anything. That's why I think love is technically just an action because you don't need to feel something in order to exercise love. (Feelings make it easier, of course, but they're not necessary.)

ah, but see, that fits to "as yourself" so long as indeed you do it in your 'as yourself' way which is true to your own as yourself. You are instructed to love in your own unique way.

 

[Soyeong]

Commands. Laws. Rules. Controls. Borders. Boundaries. All predicated on one simple concept: How things work.

This may be a trivial inquiry, but if this "love" thing is the greatest commandment, then doesn't it need to be DEFINED? If it can't, then how do we know we're doing it right?

So what do you think love is and how is it properly performed?

When a couple gets married, they don't vow to always feel a certain way towards the other, but to always act in a certain way towards the other regardless of how they feel. Similarly, when God commands us to love Him and our neighbor, He is not commanding us to feel in a certain way, but to act in a certain way. Love takes no account of its own and lays down its life for the other, so it doesn't check first how we are feeling. There is often a feeling that is associated with acting out of love, but feelings come and go like the wind, and if we let our feelings guide our actions then we will be as lost as the wind rather than rooted in love. In Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus summarized the Law and the Prophets as being about how to love God and our neighbor, so all of God's commands are examples that help define what it means to love.

 

[razzelflabben]

Love is an action, like another said, I Corinthians 13, describes the characteristics of love, and even Jesus himself said there is no greater love than to die for a friend, so to answer your questions...

If love is defined by actions, because most if not all of the characteristics mentioned in I Corinthians 13 are actions, not feelings, then I would assume that love itself is an action. If you don't have the definition of something, you look for the synonyms and examples of it.

Then every time you match those characteristics, e.g. every time you forgive and don't keep records of wrongdoing, or every time you are patient with someone, or every time you rejoice in the truth, and not in iniquity, etc. etc. You are doing the action of love.

The greatest of which would be to die for someone.

I hope that helps.

don't forget the sheer emotion that Jesus prayed in the garden when when prayed sweat drops of blood...that is emotion beyond what we can fathom. So yes, Love is an action but it is also an emotion and attitude and more. It consumes our entire being not just portions of it.

 

[razzelflabben]

We have a precise command though --

"Love your neighbor as yourself"

The command to me is to love the unique way I want to be loved.

If I prefer friendly greetings from neighbors, I am commanded to do friendly greetings. In a situation where I'd want a specific action, I am to do that action.

Love is action and feeling. It isn't ok for me to act like I am loving a neighbor only in appearance but actually disregard them entirely in my inner thoughts/feelings.

Love for me includes effort to accomplish good regard towards them inside, such as to appreciate them or at least have kind thoughts towards them, thus 'feelings' are involved also.

For someone you've been at odds with (however minor or large, either way), "love your enemy" for me means that I work to achieve sympathy for their point of view. That's actually a first step that is a great aid.

actually the command to love as yourself is referring to as completely and lavishly not with limits.

 

[Halbhh]

When a couple gets married, they don't vow to always feel a certain way towards the other, but to always act in a certain way towards the other regardless of how they feel. Similarly, when God commands us to love Him and our neighbor, He is not commanding us to feel in a certain way, but to act in a certain way. Love takes no account of its own and lays down its life for the other, so it doesn't check first how we are feeling. There is often a feeling that is associated with acting out of love, but feelings come and go like the wind, and it we let our feelings guide our actions then we will be as lost as the wind rather than rooted in love. In Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus summarized the Law and the Prophets as being about how to love God and our neighbor, so all of God's commands are examples that help define what it means to love.

Good points. There are feelings we have at first, like when someone offends us for instance, that are not the same as the feelings we want to have later, after we obey Christ and forgive them.

"..from your heart." as He instructed. (Matthew ch 18, in the parable on forgiving)

 

[Halbhh]

actually the command to love as yourself is referring to as completely and lavishly not with limits.

I'm happy to hear and learn more from you on that, if you'd elaborate. I expect we are both right, and it's about wording. For me, "as yourself" is a very powerful standard making me do real love that has a lot of substance and depth. (Also, I do love 1 Corinthians chapter 13, which is very wonderful and helpful for us. I think 1 Cor 13 talks about what is common to all of us in real love.)

 

[Coleton Bryce Ritmanich]

don't forget the sheer emotion that Jesus prayed in the garden when when prayed sweat drops of blood...that is emotion beyond what we can fathom. So yes, Love is an action but it is also an emotion and attitude and more. It consumes our entire being not just portions of it.

I know, and I agree, I talked about it with Halbhh.

 

[razzelflabben]

I'm happy to hear and learn more from you on that, if you'd elaborate. I expect we are both right, and it's about wording. For me, "as yourself" is a very powerful standard making me do real love that has a lot of substance and depth. (Also, I do love 1 Corinthians chapter 13, which is very wonderful and helpful for us. I think 1 Cor 13 talks about what is common to all of us in real love.)

When we study the concept of loving ourselves it talks about things like clothing and feeding ourselves. Most of us give ourselves the best that we have. For example, most people have more clothes than they know how to wear and rarely wear anything out. In fact, we are told that we should donate clothes to the shelters and charities so that we have room in our closets for more clothes. This is a lavishness that we fail to give to others when we love them. When we love others with clothes for example it is not the finest that we can find nor is it a closet full of new things.

Now this is just an example obviously love isn't just about clothes and food but the concept is secure. God lavishes us with love. There is currently a thread about God lavishing us with love by making us His children. In that thread is a partial list of ways that God lavishes us with love. If you can't find it and you want the list let me know and I will retrieve it for you. Anyway, the point is that love is a lavishness the likes of which the world does not comprehend. We give our best. We give in excess. We dress others, feed others, greet others, care for others, etc. as we would do for ourselves.

Here is a small and insignificant example. I have a friend who has been going through a trial for a few months now. Every day I text her an encouraging word God gives me as I pray for her. I do this without fail (not on Sun. I often talk to her face to face on Sun.) I will continue until the trial ends. why? Because Love is a covenant to remain faithful to the end even as I would endure in my own situation. I don't get to just walk away from my own trials but have to endure them no matter if it takes a week, a year, or decades. So many times we forget to lavish people with love and walk away when we feel we have done our part...but love is lavishing love and we need to remember that and should think about it everytime to dress or eat. Do we truely love others as we are loving ourselves?