L.O.V.E.

by Tim Howard

Love songs abound! No matter what age you are or what decade you were born, lyrics have been put to music and songs of love have been sung. Do you remember some of these love songs from a top 10 list?

I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You – Elvis Presley 
The Power Of Love – Celine Dion                                              
Eternal Flame – The Bangles                                                      
Can You Feel The Love Tonight? – Elton John                    
As Long As You Love Me – Backstreet Boys
Unchained Melody – Righteous Brothers                                
How Do I Live – LeAnn Rimes                                                     
Hero – Enrique Iglesias                                                               
 I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing – Aerosmith    
  
Then there’s the song by Tina Turner, released in 1993 which addressed the abusive relationship she experienced in the early years of her marriage. “What’s Love Got To Do With It?” 

The Bible tells us that LOVE has everything to do with everything we do! If you turn to 1 Corinthians 13 you will read these words: “If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.” MSG

Defining true love is difficult but we must try – If you merely look and listen to our culture you may very well have a distorted view of love and live a very dysfunctional life. When you look at the rate of divorce in our society, love doesn’t seem to last, it fades. At times love seems blind because people make foolish decisions based on an emotional counterfeit love. Then we hear of individuals talking about falling in and out of love as if love is something that happens by accident rather than choice. 

Since 1 John 4:7 tells us that: “God is love” He needs to be the beginning point for understanding love in its truest sense.  Paul the Apostle talked about God’s love. He said: “love never gives up. His love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, doesn't have a swelled head, doesn't force itself on others, isn't always "me first," doesn't fly off the handle, doesn't keep score of the sins of others, doesn't revel when others grovel, takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, puts up with anything. Love trusts God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end.”

Paul goes on to give us three keys for living life to it’s fullest. You will succeed if you have faith, hope and love but love is the greatest. 

Faith so you will be able to fulfill your purpose. Hope so that tomorrow will bring you closer to your destiny. Love for God and mankind so that you will be connected to those who can strengthen you.

If you commit yourself to loving God first and loving each other God’s way, you will rediscover the power of God’s love. The answer to “What’s Love Got To Do With It?” is EVERYTHING!