Over the next few posts we are going to be looking at several major themes, but even before that we are going to do a study on the word for each theme. The reason for this is so we have a clear understanding of the word we are trying to look at. Unfortunately in our modern world, many words are starting to lose their definition, a clear sense of meaning and precise nature of a word.

So, before we look into our subjects, such as love vs mercy; love vs fear; and love to reverence, we need to clearly define and understand those words. Love, like so many other words, has been losing its definition,

The 1975 The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language New college edition, ISBN 0-395-20360-0, has a great definition of the word love.

1: an intense affectionate concern for another person.

In our modern society we use love to represent acceptance of everything, pure affirmation and confirmation, to many of the modern Americans love no lingers means concern for another, it means you have to accept and approve of them, and more importantly you have to approve of whatever they believe or think, or else you do not love them.

This is not true, love is deeper than just acceptance and affirmation, love is a deep yearning and care for the well being of another person, and if we truly love someone and they are in self destructive behavior or desires, our job is not to approve of that behavior but to love them through it, to be there for them, to walk with them, to show compassion and care; but never to accept or promote that which is wrong.

The Bible gives us another definition of love as well:

“Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil; rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never faileth…”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭4‬-‭8‬ ‭ASV‬‬

“This is my commandment, that ye love one another, even as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭ASV‬‬

Even amidst the powerful message of biblical love, one thing remains evident, true love is about caring more about the well being of the one you love than you care about your own well being.

If you see someone walking a path that leads to destruction, love does not encourage that behavior, but challenges it, shows mercy, compassion, care and grace to that individual through that journey, to bring them out of it, not that they might abide in it and follow the path whose ways lead to hell, death and the grave.

If I see someone running towards a cliff, and they have a blindfold on, is it love to let them continue running in that direction? Even if they love the direction they are heading? God forbid, lest I tell them not that there journey leads to destruction and warn them not, their blood becoming required at my hand who knew but did nothing to warn them, moreover if I let them go that way it shows a lack of love, as not warning them shows I do not care for their well-being.

Love then, is not blindly affirming what someone desires in the moment, but is more concerned about their well being, not the short term emotional happiness, which changes day by day.

As a parent I love my children, and there are times my child desires strongly things that is not good for them, things that can hurt them, and when I deny them it they cry and become upset, because they think I am being mean or harsh; but it is because I care I protect them from things that can hurt them, even to the point of them being upset with me, this is a clear picture of what love truly is.

Love cares more for the well-being of another, to the point of being willing to die for them at its highest level. Love is intense, burning, affectionate, cares deeply, sees the best in what could be, but love does not allow one to injure themselves in self gratification and pleasure, because it cares too much too allow that.