Marriage...Leon & Gina #3

Define love...

The real problem with many men who are “in love” with their wives is they think of love as a feeling. To the extent that love is a feeling (and, to a limited extent it is an emotion), it’s possible to love someone too much. You can actually love someone (or something) to the point of idolizing him or her (or it). When a man desires and dotes over his wife inordinately (i.e., to the point of expecting her to do for him those things only God can do for him) he has, in this sinful sense, loved her “too much.”

Biblical love, however, is not primarily a feeling. In fact, such love isn’t even an emotion primarily. What part of speech is the word “love?”

“Why, love is a noun.”

No, love is fundamentally a verb.

“A verb?”

Yes, that’s right! Do you remember what the classic passage in the Bible is that defines what biblical love is all about?

“Sure, It’s .”

Right again. Let’s take a closer look at this well-known passage of Scripture

Love suffers long (patient) and is kind (verb); love does not envy (verb); love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

And on and on it goes. They are all verbs.

Love does not brag [and] Verb

Verb

Is not arrogant

Verb

Does not act unbecomingly

Verb

It does not seek its own

Verb

Is not provoked

Verb

Verb

Does not take into account a wrong [suffered]

Verb

Does not rejoice in unrighteousness

Verb

But rejoices with the truth

Verb

Bears all things

Verb

Believes all things

Verb

Hopes all things

Verb

Endures all things

Verb

Do you see the picture? When God wanted to define love, He used verbs because love is something you do much more than something you feel. It involves motion much more than it does fleeting emotion!

Since love is something you do, is it really possible to love someone too much?

For Homework look up the following verses and further describe “love” to me…

Jesus told us to “love” our enemies (). According to , how do we love our enemies?

So if we are to sum up this definition of “love” based on these Scriptures, what is a one word summary to define “love” for us? __________________________________________________