WHAT IS LOVE, REALLY ?

- W H A T I S L O V E, R E A L L Y ? -

Beirut, Lebanon

Palig Dawidian

“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”

John 13:34

Love is one of the most profound, yet misunderstood, concepts in human experience. Many of us first learn about love through family, culture, and relationships, these early lessons either distort our understanding or attach conditions to love. Where as, unconditional love, also known as agape, is the highest form of love. It’s not just a feeling but a commitment. This love is exemplified in God’s relationship with humanity, where His love for us is steadfast, not dependent on our worthiness or response. It is the ultimate model of love, everlasting, without condition. With God’s love as our ultimate demonstration, we learn how to love in all areas of life not because of a label whether in friendship, relationships, family, or parenting... but because of the basis. When we truly understand the depth of God’s love, we begin to reflect His love in all our roles. His love becomes the foundation from which all other forms of love flow, shaping and transforming the way we interact with those around us.

The greatest commandment in Matthew 22:37-39 teaches us "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.", love is the essence of God's will for us, starting with our love for Him. Loving God transforms our hearts and aligns our minds with His will, enabling us to fulfill the second commandment to love others as we love ourselves. God’s love in us becomes the wellspring from which all our relationships flow, making His love not just a command, but the very nature of our identity. When we understand the profound love God has for us, we are compelled to share that love with others. 1 John 4:7 reminds us: "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God."

Love is not transactional, nor is it a convenience, it is sacrificial. Comprehending God's infinite love as finite humans is challenging, yet God has made His love accessible through the gift of His only Son, Jesus Christ: John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." Jesus, the King of Kings, left His heavenly throne and humbled Himself by taking on human form (Philippians 2:6-8). He endured suffering and bore humiliation, fully aware that many would still reject Him (John 1:10-11). Yet, His love remained steadfast and unconditional, offering salvation to all who would receive it (Romans 5:8). God’s love is not merely a feeling; it is an active, sacrificial love. As 1 John 3:18 urges us: "Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth."

True love is visible in our actions, not just our words. It must be authentic and sincere. Paul beautifully describes love’s qualities in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7: "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." This description mirrors God’s love for us, a love that calls us to reflect Him in our daily lives. It challenges us to love beyond convenience, to love sacrificially, and to let our actions testify to the love of Christ working through us.

The question remains: can you truly love others the way God first loved you? Can you love someone even when they don’t love you back, don’t change, don’t choose you, always make the same mistakes...? Many might argue, “Why should I love someone who...?” Yet, people of this very mindset often question God’s existence or goodness based on the presence of evil in the world. This not only mirrors the misunderstanding of God’s nature, who God is but reveals a deeper issue: a tendency to judge God’s perfection by human standards, assuming we could care for others better than God does. How do you then claim to know love if your love is only extended to those who bring you benefit or reciprocate?

Moreover, this applies not only to unbelievers but, perhaps more critically, to those who consider themselves believers. How often do we allow lies about conditional love to distort our understanding of unconditional love? Doubts show how easily we let worldly views of love cloud the purity of God’s love. These doubts often stem from not truly knowing the nature of God. They arise from placing faith in material blessings rather than in God Himself. To trust in God’s love is to recognize that His ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9), that His plans are always for the ultimate good (Romans 8:28), and His blessings are not earthly but eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17- 18). True faith anchors itself in the assurance of God’s eternal promises, knowing that His love surpasses temporary circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) and leads us to an eternal inheritance that unlike earthly inheritance can never perish, spoil, or fade (1 Peter 1:4).

If things don’t turn out the way you imagined or expected, will you still run to the Father? God promises that He can give us more than we think, ask, or imagine (Ephesians 3:20), but is it the promise that keeps us going, or is it His presence? God's presence, not just His promises, should be the anchor that holds us firm.

Note: The Levites did not receive land like the other tribes; instead, God Himself was their portion. Their inheritance was not a physical territory but a unique and intimate relationship with God. Their reward was

God's presence and service to Him, rather than earthly possessions.

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

Mathew 5:46-47