What is love????

So many times I hear people speak of love. Young and old alike have their views and experiences. I feel that most people have a warped view of love. It seems that love now is : selfish, cheats, easily gives up, treat people like garbage, fight, argue, talk about people, lies......and the list goes on.

I think we have all had love like this. We learn it from a young age. Sometimes from family members, parents, children, school friends, teachers, boyfriend or girlfriends, husband or wife etc. We all have received this kind of "love" more than we like to admit. Sometimes we even believe this is the best there is.........this is what we deserve......or chase after someone just to get a "love" this way. We even treat people like we have been treated.  But this is not the true love, not the love God has put in the Bible, not the love He has taught me. These verses in 1 Corinthians explain it well:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy or 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 preserves. Love never fails.            ~ 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

Not only is this what love really is.......but what an example! People that have showed me unconditional love in my lifetime are rare, they really stick out to me. This is the kind of love I desire in my life and also the kind of love I want to share at all times with others. This is something I have to work on all the time. Even though I am a loving person, I am still human. I get hurt, talked about, lied to just like the rest. It is hard to love people when they do this....but it is what God tells me to do. And God............what a true example of love He is. He showed us the greatest love of all............He sent His one and only Son, Jesus to die on the cross for all the wrong we have ever done. Jesus was perfect, He didn't deserve the punishment. I did. Jesus didn't have to take this punishment.....but He did. He cared more for our lives.........He loved us and chose to go through this for you and for me. He traded His perfect life, for our imperfect lives. WOW! Now that is love...................and He didn't just do this for good people, or His friends............you know...the ones easiest to love.....................no He did this for all.

This also brought a song to my mind called  You Gave. We sang this during VBS. These are the lyrics:

Lord I want to be, pleasing to You
In everything I do
And I want to love you more
More than yesterday
More than words can say

'Cuz You gave your life
You lived and died
For me, for me

You paid the price
You sacrificed
for me, for me

Now the least that I can do
Is live my life for you.

Now that is what real love is! I am so thankful that He cared enough to love me, to spend time working on me and teaching me. He hasn't left me or given up. He is there every step of every day. I pray that I can always be one that shows others love like Jesus has shown to me.

So, what is your experience of love? Who do you tell so quickly the 3 words....I love you.....and do you really mean it? Are you chasing someone that loves you unconditionally? How do you show love? Have you had God's love in your life?

I know God doesn't run from me.....even if everyone else does. I for one....will live my life for Him. I love because He first loved me =)