What the World needs now is LOVE!

 Let’s talk about love. What is your definition of love?

Here is what the Webster Dictionary defines love as: 

Love 1 of 2 

noun

(1): strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties

maternal love for a child

(2): attraction based on sexual desire : affection and tenderness felt by lovers

Here is what scripture defines love as: 

I Corinthians 13:4-8 AMP 

4 Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. 5 It is not rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; it does not take into account a wrong endured. 6 It does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail]. 7 Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening].

8 Love never fails [it never fades nor ends]. But as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for the gift of special knowledge, it will pass away.

Love, as the majority of the world views it, is a feeling that should make your heart pitter-patter - or give you a gooey feeling inside. We encounter people everyday that we are to love, Below are the relationships we encounter and the scripture you can go to to see how God wants us to love.  

1. Husband and wife - love (Ephesians 5:21-32) 
2. Parent and child - love (I Kings 3:16-28)
3. Friendship- love (John 15:12-13) 
4. Show love to Co-workers (Ephesians 6:1) 
5. Show love to those who are different than us (James 1:27) 
6. Show love to strangers (Hebrews 13:1-2)
7. Show love to Foreigners (Leviticus 29:34:34) 

Truly examine yourself before you speak words of defeat, cynicism, and hate at someone you say you love. Scripture tells us:

23 Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life. (Proverbs 4:23 AMPC) 

AND 

34 You offspring of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil (wicked)? For out of the fullness (the overflow, the superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks.

35 The good man from his inner good treasure flings forth good things, and the evil man out of his inner evil storehouse flings forth evil things. (Matthew 12:34-35 AMPC)

So how can anyone obtain and walk daily in this love we freely misuse, and daily abuse. For example: “I love you” to a friend; and that friend hits on your Husband or your Wife. The flesh, which is without the Holy Spirit in your heart, immediately develops a hate for that friend and even breaks up the friendship. When things like that happens in our lives we begin to ask ourselves thing like, "What just happened? How did this happen? What is wrong with my Husband. What is wrong with my Wife? What is wrong with me?" These are questions that come to mind when your “heart” has been deeply hurt. 

(Read the book of Hosea of how he continually rekindled his relationship with Gomer, who was a prostitute. They had children, and she continually kept going back to her sinful ways. Finally she was being sold as a slave on a podium in town and God told him to go buy her back and show her kindness and love. God said, that is how much I love my people. I am paraphrasing; however, it is a good story to read).

Satan hates God’s creations. His purpose is to destroy marriages, friendships, and even conflicts between parents and children, cultures and countries, and employer and employees - so he causes us to stumble and even fall through every relationship mentioned above. He sets before us things that will offend and deeply hurt us. Yet, when we are “deeply rooted and grounded in LOVE”...

(Ephesians 3:17 AMPC): 

17 May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,

It says make a permanent home in your hearts. Let’s continue with verses 18,19:

18 That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];

19 [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!

….we do stumble; however, you can regain your footage to a perfect landing place that is deeply in you and given to you from God. His Love is perfect and does not require us to do anything to obtain it. It is freely given, so freely receive it and watch how you and your life, relationships, and love walk will have more meaning and filled with joy!