WHAT is the meaning of love??

[Little T-chan]

Okay, okay, I know this is a stupid question to all of people....

But I was just asked this question..and I realized that I don't really know. What IS the meaning of love? What is love? I thought I knew..but thinking deeply about it made me confused. Maybe I was just thinking too much about it, but I really don't know. I know when to say 'I love you' to people and I know when I mean it. But I don't know what I mean by it.

[Emie]

Okay, okay, I know this is a stupid question to all of people....

But I was just asked this question..and I realized that I don't really know. What IS the meaning of love? What is love? I thought I knew..but thinking deeply about it made me confused. Maybe I was just thinking too much about it, but I really don't know. I know when to say 'I love you' to people and I know when I mean it. But I don't know what I mean by it.

Good question, I've never thought of that before... I just know what love feels like. I guess the meaning would be something like: "like and care about very much"

[Ssjjvash]

To know the meaning of love, look up 1 Corinthians chapter 13. Poof! There's a good answer right in the Bible!!

[Yahshua]

1 Corinthians 13


Love

1If I speak in the tongues[1] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[2] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

John 13

33"My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
34"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

John 15
12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command.

Love is all these thing and action.

[Little T-chan]

Oh!! 1 Corinthians 13...I remember reading that. I'm ashamed that it didn't come to mind. Thank you. ^^

[Ssjjvash]

^_^

Sure, no problem! Glad we could be of some help!

[b0redx3]

Ssjjvash is right~! The Bible is the answer to all =D

In 1 Corinthians 13, it talks about love being patient and kind. Most of all love is a choice. In the Bible it also said that it was because God loves us first, we are able to love Him too. It seems that we are a bit selfish, but in order for us to know wat love is, He have to show us. It is your choice to love someone... even if you do not like how that person acts or display themselves. It is a choice
The word 'love' had and has been used so loosely that it lost the meaning. People say 'i love you' but dont' mean it. But the Bible tells us that love should not hinder any sinful things. "It always protects, always trusts, always hope, always perseveres." 1 Corinthians 13:7
Love is everything that God is.

[Little T-chan]

Thanks b0redx3. I'll remember your lesson!! ^^

[Golden_Griff]

Ssjjvash is right~! The Bible is the answer to all =D

Yep, in the words of Mr. Flanders: "I got a book that's jam-packed with answers! *pulls out the Holy Bible*"

[Saint Kevin]

That's the love that we ought to aspire to. Agape love (the kind referred to in the New Testament, and in 1 Cor. 13) is more about loving actions than feelings.

Do loving actions tend to soften hearts and inspire loving feelings? Most certainly, but even when we don't particularly feel like loving someone, that is what we are called to do.

This call doesn't extend to merely our families, friends, or brothers and sisters in Christ, but also to our enemies. In addition to the call to love our brothers and sisters in Christ in John 13, we are told to love our enemies in Matthew 5:43-48.

43 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

[ZiP]

The question is, what's love got to do with it?

[Vash is a plant]

The question is, what's love got to do with it?

LOL!!!

On topic, to put it in layman's terms, it's when you will be willing to give up everything for someone even if you gain nothing. (If you give up everything for Christ, you're going get something far greater than anything on earth, or course! )

[Morluna]

This question has already been answered extensively I see....1st Corinthians woot.

[Fsiphskilm]

[b]Love[/b

[Iona]

to sum up what others have said: I think love is to want the very best for someone (even if it doesn't benefit you).

[CephasWhite]

I think love is pretty much everything that is Godly like being nice, etc.

[cbwing0]

Since everyone has managed to avoid the actual title question, "what is the meaning of love," I'll answer it .

The meaning of love: "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us" (1 John 4:10-12).

Since God first loved us, and we love him in return, we should strive to keep his commands and love one another.

There is one thing that I see every time people talk about love, which annoys me. That is the tendency of some people to make love seem like a completely esoteric and unknowable thing. The problem with this is that it makes it difficult for us to actually demonstrate love in our lives, unless we concede that we do in fact know something about love.

One last thing...

-When you release a $20 bill off the top of a building and watch it glide down into a street filled with People you've never met.

Is that before or after the people down below get finished fighting over it?

[Benu]

God is Love! It's as simple as that!

[Little T-chan]

Wow..lots of answers!! @.@ Thanks you guys, I was so totally lost on that one!!! ^^u

Yep, in the words of Mr. Flanders: "I got a book that's jam-packed with answers! *pulls out the Holy Bible*"

lol So true!!

This call doesn't extend to merely our families, friends, or brothers and sisters in Christ, but also to our enemies. In addition to the call to love our brothers and sisters in Christ in John 13, we are told to love our enemies in Matthew 5:43-48.

Yeah, I remember that. I also remember thinking that if I ever got enemies, it would be so easy to love them....But I recently discovered that it's pretty hard....

The question is, what's love got to do with it?

Umm...what's love got to do with what??? @.@;

On topic, to put it in layman's terms, it's when you will be willing to give up everything for someone even if you gain nothing. (If you give up everything for Christ, you're going get something far greater than anything on earth, or course! )

That's an answer I've heard before..but there were also many other ones..so I got confused...^^u

Love is this-> an idea, a beleife, a thought, a feeling that you have towards yourself, and the world. The purest form of Love is un-noticed. And many times over-looked and hidden.

Wow...I thought those examples of love were acts of kindness...

to sum up what others have said: I think love is to want the very best for someone (even if it doesn't benefit you).

I've also heard this one many times before and I agree with you too.

I think love is pretty much everything that is Godly like being nice, etc.

Hmmm...I had to think about that, but I think I agree.

Since everyone has managed to avoid the actual title question, "what is the meaning of love," I'll answer it .
The meaning of love: "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us" (1 John 4:10-12).
Since God first loved us, and we love him in return, we should strive to keep his commands and love one another.
There is one thing that I see every time people talk about love, which annoys me. That is the tendency of some people to make love seem like a completely esoteric and unknowable thing. The problem with this is that it makes it difficult for us to actually demonstrate love in our lives, unless we concede that we do in fact know something about love.

Your answer confused me, but I think I'm slowly beginning to understand it...I think it's hard for me to understand because it's kinda different from other definitions of love I've heard before...Still thinking....

Anyway, thanks for your inputs!! I still have much to learn about love...<3

PS. =_=; I am so bad at the "quoting" thing!!!!

[Fsiphskilm]

[quote="cb

[termyt]

My 2 cents!

Lots of good answers, the only thing I can add (with out taking away from any of the other posts) is that love is a commitment!

It is not possible to fall into or out of love and it can't happen at first sight. It takes years to develop true love and is a result of the commitment two people have for each other.

Speaking specifically of romantic love, it goes far beyond the initial attraction you feel towards another and even beyond the common interests you develop during the "courtship phase" of the relationship. I believe the true love that God intended for a husband and wife doesn't really kick in until at least the fifth or sixth year of marriage! At that point, the initial romance of the relationship has faded and a marriage that will last is built on commitment. Commitment first of all to God, then to your spouse and finally to your children. If both of you are working to this, you don't need a commitment to yourself, your needs will be filled.

(Although, girls, you may need to remind your husbands of what those needs are from time to time. We men tend to be a little shortsighted that way.)

[Paulo Q.]

Love has no meaning; it just is!

[CephasWhite]

[quote="Paulo Q."]Love has no meaning]

[ClosetOtaku]

Little T-Chan,

Maybe it's beyond what you are looking for, all the above posts are excellent answers to your question... but one of the best books on the subject I've read is C.S. Lewis' "The Four Loves". In the preface, Lewis states that he thought John's statement "God is Love" would make this an easy topic to write about... but as he looked more deeply, he found the opposite statement, "Love is God", to be a dangerous sentiment that has been used to justify ungodly excesses.

A good book, readable (although it does require some concentration to follow Lewis' chain of thought), and well worth pondering.

[panegryst]

love is the care for the emotional and physical well-being and good of another human, the proof of which is self-sacrifice.

[Destroyer2000]

Nothing annoys me more than these little hormone crazed teenagers that run around and say, "I love so-and-so". They DON'T love them. Their minds can't even comprehend what true love is. It's infatuation, and nothing more. I often wonder why I seem to be the only person I know who isn't like that...or around my area, atleast.

[Little T-chan]

Haha I feel like a student!! Well, I am..but a student at CAA!!! ^^u Thanks for reaching out and teaching me like this everyone!!! I truly appreciate it. I'll keep on "studying" til I find my true definition of love!! ^^ ::determined::

The Love of Giving is counter-balanced with the Love of Money&Greed

Uhh...what does that mean? ^^u

Lots of good answers, the only thing I can add (with out taking away from any of the other posts) is that love is a commitment!

I agree with that.

It is not possible to fall into or out of love and it can't happen at first sight. It takes years to develop true love and is a result of the commitment two people have for each other.

Why isn't it possible to fall into or out of love???

Speaking specifically of romantic love, it goes far beyond the initial attraction you feel towards another and even beyond the common interests you develop during the "courtship phase" of the relationship. I believe the true love that God intended for a husband and wife doesn't really kick in until at least the fifth or sixth year of marriage! At that point, the initial romance of the relationship has faded and a marriage that will last is built on commitment. Commitment first of all to God, then to your spouse and finally to your children. If both of you are working to this, you don't need a commitment to yourself, your needs will be filled.

I agree because my mother told me that she didn't truly fall in love with my father until after they've lived with each other for a while. ^^

Love has no meaning; it just is!

@.@ Um..doesn't that counter everything that everyone just said?? ^^u

Little T-Chan,

Maybe it's beyond what you are looking for, all the above posts are excellent answers to your question... but one of the best books on the subject I've read is C.S. Lewis' "The Four Loves". In the preface, Lewis states that he thought John's statement "God is Love" would make this an easy topic to write about... but as he looked more deeply, he found the opposite statement, "Love is God", to be a dangerous sentiment that has been used to justify ungodly excesses.

A good book, readable (although it does require some concentration to follow Lewis' chain of thought), and well worth pondering.

Wow...

love is the care for the emotional and physical well-being and good of another human, the proof of which is self-sacrifice.

That's a definition I can relate to! ^^

Nothing annoys me more than these little hormone crazed teenagers that run around and say, "I love so-and-so". They DON'T love them. Their minds can't even comprehend what true love is. It's infatuation, and nothing more. I often wonder why I seem to be the only person I know who isn't like that...or around my area, atleast.

I agree!!! >.<; Even though I don't have a definition of love for myself, I've always believed strongly that what they say isn't truly out of love!! ::nod::

[Destroyer2000]

Yes...the problem is most people think all teens are the same. That is annoying, as well, because I have to put up with them associating me with them.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

I thought I knew..but thinking deeply about it made me confused. Maybe I was just thinking too much about it,

first off, its VERY VERY VERY VERY good to see people who over analyze things, probably a gift from God? I over analyze everything, and people think i'm weird or whatever. BUt I do like the trait of overanalyzation. It's only not Good on the SAT's or something

[cbwing0]

It's only not Good on the SAT's or something

The trick is to take the products of your analyis and apply them with confidence to actual situations .