Love is ...
By Bob Russell
What does love mean?” That question was posed to a group of children ages 4 to 8 and some of their answers were endearing:
“When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love.” Rebecca, age 8.
“Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne, and they go out and smell each other.” Karl, age 5
“Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.” Chrissy, age 6.
“Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.” Danny, age 7.
“Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss!” Emily, age 8.
“Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.” Bobby, age 7.
“Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.” Tommy, age 6.
Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.” Chris, age 7.
“I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.” Lauren, age 4.
Those are cute answers, but love was best defined by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not 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 perseveres. Love never fails.”
Many people today consider love as an involuntary emotion or an uncontrollable passion. They speak of “falling in love” or “falling out of love” as though it’s similar to accidentally falling into a ditch or falling
out of a tree. One public figure attempted to excuse his adultery by explaining, “The chemistry between this woman and me was overpowering. She’s my soul-mate.” Really? Is love something beyond our
control?
First Corinthians 13 contains very little about feelings and a lot about unselfish behavior. Love often begins with romance but mature love isn’t primarily about feelings; it’s about commitment. Emotions are
the by-product of genuine love but not the root of it. Love is choosing to sacrifice self for the benefit of the other regardless of how we feel at the moment. Emotions fluctuate but real love is an unconditional
allegiance that never fails.
One 8-year-old girl named Jessica wrote the following that is definitely true. “You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget...