Tuesday – What’s Love Got to Do with It
I’ll begin by apologizing for using an old song title made popular by Tina Turner. “What’s Love Got to Do with It” became a number-one hit in the U.S. in 1984 and is still well-known today. The song’s title raises a good question. The main chorus dives deeper into the writer’s experience of love:
What’s love got to do, got to do with it
What’s love but a second hand emotion
What’s love got to do, got to do with it
Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken
There are many in this world who feel apprehensive about love. They view love as an opportunity for pain and heartache so they put up walls and close themselves off from others and from God. Some see love as a weakness. To them, love is merely fanciful feelings and nothing more. While there are others who feel that they are unworthy of experiencing any quality love and so they distance themselves from others and from God.
The problem with these responses to love is that they fail to understand what love is. God has given us the definition of love and He has demonstrated this love to us. Look at how God defines love:
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)
We all long to experience love like this! We can experience it – but we can only experience it fully and completely with God. 1 John 4 tells us twice (verses 8 & 16) that “God is love.” Look again at the verses from 1 Corinthians 13 but this time replace the word “love/it” with the word “God.”
Did you re-read the verses?! This is who God is. This is God’s mindset and behavior toward you. God’s love is not theoretical but actual. He came to earth at Christmas to be among us so that we can fully experience His love!
What’s Love Got to Do with It? EVERYTHING. God is love and He wants you to experience Him each and everyday!
Blessings, Luke Justice