When comparing your love to God’s definition
“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
(1 John 4:8 NIV)
What Is Agape Love?
Agape is the word used to describe God’s immeasurable and incomparable love. It is a selfless, sacrificial love that seeks the good of others without demanding anything in return.
God does not merely feel love—God is love. And He demonstrated His love toward us in the greatest possible way: by giving His Son for people who could never earn or deserve such a gift.
The Greatest Kind of Love
The greatest kind of love is agape love—love that expresses itself through action.
God demonstrated this love by sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for us and provide the free gift of eternal life to everyone who believes in Him (John 3:16-17).
Jesus then commanded His followers to demonstrate this same kind of love toward one another. In fact, He said our love would be one of the distinguishing marks by which others recognize that we belong to Him.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
(John 13:34-35 ESV)
Measure Your Love by God’s Definition
It is easy to say, “I love people.” But Scripture gives us a practical way to examine whether our actions match our words.
Ask yourself how your love compares with God’s definition:
• Love is patient and kind
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”
(1 Cor. 13:4 NIV)
Am I patient with difficult people? Do I treat others with kindness even when they do not treat me kindly?
• Love is not self-seeking
“It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”
(1 Cor. 13:5 NIV)
True love is not constantly asking, What am I getting out of this? Instead, it looks for ways to serve, forgive and encourage others.
• Love rejoices with the truth
“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”
(1 Cor. 13:6 NIV)
Godly love never celebrates what is wrong. It loves people while remaining faithful to what is true.
• Love always perseveres
“It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
(1 Cor. 13:7 NIV)
Agape love does not disappear when relationships become difficult. It continues to hope, pray, forgive and seek what is best for others.
• Love never fails
“Love never fails.”
(1 Cor. 13:8 NIV)
Many things we value in this life are temporary, but love has eternal significance.
A Love Checkup
First Corinthians 13 gives us a wonderful spiritual checkup. Instead of reading the passage only as a description of love, make it personal.
Am I patient?
Am I kind?
Am I envious or boastful?
Am I easily angered?
Am I keeping a record of someone’s wrongs?
Am I protecting, trusting, hoping and persevering?
None of us will do these things perfectly. That is why we continually need God to work in our hearts. The closer we walk with Him, the more His love should become visible through us.
Therefore
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
(1 Cor. 13:13 NIV)
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”
(1 John 4:7 ESV)
“Let all that you do be done in love.”
(1 Cor. 16:14 ESV)
“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8 ESV)
Today, ask God to show you one person who especially needs His love. Then don’t merely tell that person you care—put love into action through kindness, encouragement, forgiveness, generosity or help.
Quote
“In the New Testament, love is more of a verb than a noun. It has more to do with acting than with feeling. The call to love is not so much a call to a certain state of feeling as it is to a quality of action.”
— R. C. Sproul