I once thought, love, or something like it came with flashing lights and bold signs. I once thought there would actually be floating signs, telling you that “yes, this is love.” Nevertheless, to my understanding nowadays, the former and hence the latter, is absolutely vague and impossible to determine. Many would love to know what love truly is, and who is truly loving and worthy to be loved. Why must there be so many thoughts, inconsistent as they come, which will eventually drive you insane from analyzing every little action, to prove the existence of love.
The New International Version of the Holy Bible (1 Corinthians 13:4-7) best describes love, as we should know it and understand it. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.
Every time I have those feelings of doubts regarding whether “yes, this is love,” I remember this beautiful scripture. It is pure, it is real, and it is as simple as it can be. The simplicity of it just reminds us of how complicated, we as human beings, have allowed this consumerist society to turn us into a people who have forgotten the true meaning of love. What many regard as love today is actually a heightened sense of lust. In a society that lusts for things, and not taking up an actual interest in a person’s character; what is an honest and determining factor when it comes to simply liking someone?
So, where does love come into all of this? Love is patient, love is kind, as simple as it sounds, and many have still missed its mark. Love is simply patient, it will wait, it will not push, shove, and it will not call you names (verbal/physical/emotional abuse).
It does not envy, it does not boast and it is not proud. In other words, anything loud is evidently an empty vessel if you think about it. Love, as this scripture declares, does not envy, as it simply abhors jealousy in any form of love-intended relationship. Love does not boast and it does not brag, and I can just imagine those excessive social media posts about people’s personal relationships. Their excessive posts about their love lives, simply shows a need for validation, and according to this verse, is there a correlation there?
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered and it keeps no record of wrongs. This is one of my favorite verses, as it is evident with the rise of social media relationship rants and raves. One slight mistake, some people are quick to post a hurtful status about their other half, slighting them at every opportunity given. In reality, communication is obviously vital here, and is one of the ways to diffuse any impending issues resulting from anger, frustration, and record keeping of wrong doings (passive aggressiveness).
Love does not delight in evil, but it rejoices with the truth. This momentous verse speaks to many trust issues faced in relationships. In retrospect, trust issues are likely one of the major catalysts to unsuccessful and turbulent relationships. I cannot possibly think of any relationship that can survive with a foundation built with faltering trust.
Finally, it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Again, issues of trust are revisited, showing the importance of trust in every successful relationships. Trust is very important because its essence is rooted with an undeniable faith. How can one even expect to continue loving someone else in that relationship if there isn’t any trust? Let trust grow in the beginning, which is why it is very much advisable to begin with friendship. Consequently, a friendship between two people is an ongoing test of trust and faith in one another. Again, I must refer to one of my favorite quotes from the Holy Bible, “can two walk together if they do not agree?”
Living Free 