What's the Exchange Rate on Love?

It feels like Christmas was yesterday, how am I already writing a Valentine’s Day blog?? With my ongoing sugar fast and my multiple jobs, I feel like time is simply flying by. All that to say, Valentine’s Day reminds me of that popular 1980’s Tina Turner song, What’s love got to do with it? There’s a line in that song that says, “What’s love, but a second hand emotion? Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?” While there is some truth to the sentiment Tina was singing about, I’ve recently been puzzled thinking about the various ways our culture talks about love. For example, we talk about loving our husband the same way we talk about loving pizza. We “love” when things go our way, and we “love” following our favorite influencers. But what does that mean for the price and weight of our "love"? Is a pizza going to fulfill me in the same way as my marriage?? Of course not! As we enter into the month of February, I thought it might be nice to explore a biblical view of love, because I mean, really, is there a better perspective on love than the love Christ has for us?? 

World's Definition of Love

Today, a common perception of love is that it is transient. You might fall in love with someone, but you can just as easily fall out of love. In the movies and media, love is conditional– “I’ll love you, as long as you keep doing what I want.” It is superficial, based on image and driven by self-gratification. As an example, it seems to me that marriage these days is not based on passion, intimacy, and commitment, but is based on “as long as you make me happy, we’ll stay married, and once you don’t make me happy anymore, we’ll get divorced.”

Biblical Perspective on Love

In contrast, the biblical definition of love is simple:

“God is love.” 1 John 4:8b 

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.” 1 John 4:9 

Love is what God did in sending Jesus to earth to live a perfect, sinless life on our behalf, and to die on our behalf, so that we might live as objects of God’s never ending love, grace and mercy! Love is so much deeper than we give it credit for. 

Biblical love is made up of many things:

“Love is patient and kind. Love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

This kind of love is selfless, sacrificial, and focused on the well-being of others. It endures because this kind of love is built on who God is, not on our fickle selves. 

Challenges of Worldly Love

There are many potential pitfalls and challenges associated with adopting the world's definition of love. If love is offered only when a person meets your needs and makes you happy, then there is no lasting fulfillment or genuine connection between the two of you. Love indicates the participation of two people, if it’s all about the benefits for one of those people, and not the other, there is no way a long-lasting partnership can be produced. 

Benefits of & Ways to Foster Biblical Love

Biblical love might be more challenging as you look for intimacy, connection and passion instead of looking for a quick list of things you can do to make your spouse/relative/friend continue to love you. It’s not just a quid pro quo anymore. It's “how can I serve my spouse/relative/friend in a way that fosters deep connection, enduring relationships, and personal growth?” 

In a world where love is often portrayed as a fleeting emotion, subject to conditions and whims, the biblical perspective provides a profound and timeless definition. Tina Turner's song echoes the sentiments of a disposable love, we find a stark contrast in the pages of Scripture.

The Bible, in its simplicity, declares that "God is love" (1 John 4:8b). It's not a transient emotion but a foundational aspect of God's character, demonstrated through the sacrificial sending of His Son for our salvation (1 John 4:9). Love, according to the Bible, is patient, kind, and enduring. It goes beyond the superficial and conditional, encompassing a selfless and sacrificial nature.

While our culture often reduces love to mere transactions and fleeting passions, the biblical understanding challenges us to a deeper, more profound love—one that withstands the tests of time and circumstances.

Worldly love, with its emphasis on personal satisfaction, can lead to a lack of genuine connection and lasting fulfillment. On the contrary, biblical love, grounded in selflessness and focused on the well-being of others, offers enduring relationships and personal growth.

Understanding the challenges of worldly love, we find in biblical love not just a set of behaviors but a transformative way of relating. It’s an invitation to seek intimacy, connection, and passion rather than a checklist to fulfill in exchange for affection.

As we navigate the complexities of love, let’s prioritize biblical principles, fostering connections that go beyond fleeting emotions. Let’s engage in acts of kindness, practice patience, and embrace selflessness. In doing so, we not only reflect God's love to others but also experience the profound joy that comes from living out the timeless truths found in the Scriptures.