What is this thing called love?

Remember that Tina Turner hit, "What's love got to do with it"? She sings that it is merely a second-hand emotion. Apparently it is not of much value to her or those that bought the song. Maybe people believed her because she had been through an abusive marriage. Maybe people thought that since they had been wounded in a relationship that love is not all that great. It keeps leaving people broken and wounded in its wake.

Others would argue that love is important and extremely valuable. Maybe some of the problem is that we define it differently. We may say the same word but mean something totally different. Think about how you defined love as a child, then as a teen, then in your 20's, and so on. Has your own definition and understanding of love changed over the years?

Lately I have been intrigued by the simple life and love of Mother Teresa. It started with hearing Shane Claiborne talk about her and quote her, "We can do no great things; only small things with great love." Let's look at a few of her quotes about love before we look at how the Bible defines it.

"We have to love until it hurts. It is not enough to say, "I love." We must put that love into a living action. And how do we do that? By giving until it hurts."

"True love causes pain. Jesus, in order to give us the proof of his love, died on the cross. A mother, in order to give birth to her baby, has to suffer. If you really love one another, you will not be able to avoid making sacrifices."

"Love is, just like Christ himself showed with his death, the greatest gift."

"I try to give to the poor people for love what the rich could get for money. I wouldn't touch the leper for a thousand pounds. Yet I willingly cure him for the love of God."

She describes love in action and as a response to what Jesus Christ did by going to the cross to die for our sin and cleanse us.

Josh McDowell uses the Bible to show how God defines love in two ways:
- love is nourishing [nurturing] (this is more of a feminine aspect of love)
- love is protecting (more masculine)

James Dobson uses the Bible and psychology to define love as doing what is best for others; even if, they don't like what you do.

1 John 4 twice declares that God is love. The above definitions share a little about God's character and how He loves. The Bible tells us that He is love. Romans 5 tells us that He demonstrated His love for people by Jesus becoming human and then dying for our sin when we were His enemies. At our ugliest, most rebellious and disobedient, He chose to show love by allowing us to kill Him so that we could be brought into a restored relationship with God! That is not exactly how I normally respond.

So, God is love. He nurtures and protects. He redeems and restores. He does what is best for us whether we like it or not; even, whether we receive it or not. God defines love and all that is good comes from Him.

That is what love's got to do with it! It is the key to the meaning of life. Love determines all aspects of our life on earth and our eternity after this short life in this decaying earth-suit. Brokenness and shattered relationships can all be temporary if we receive the rescuing, restoring and healing love of God Who cares for us deeply.

This thing called love comes from God. Do you know Him? Do you know His love? Do you live with the knowledge and love of God through Jesus? Does it determine how you live and treat others?