1 John 4:8 … for God is love.
One of the most important truths to get revelation on is the love God has for us. Because God is love (agape), He relates to us through love. The more we understand the truth about God's love for us, the easier it becomes to walk in what God desires for your life. Let's take a look at our God and how He relates to us.
1 Cor. 13:8 Love never fails.
Here within these verses we get a very distinct picture of God. We have 15 different definitions of what love is. So you can easily say this is what our God is like. As we go over these definitions together because God is love, remember that this defines how God relates to us.
1. Love Suffers Long – Love does not give way to bitterness or wrath.
When you think about this very first definition of God it means that He does not become bitter toward us, nor will He give place to anger against us as children of God. Even when a child does do things wrong if their parent truly cares about them they may be disappointed in what they have done, but they do not get angry with their child. Those who do are giving way to the fleshly nature.
2. Love Is Kind – Love is engaged in doing good to others.
For some they have grown up believing that God does bad things to people to teach them something. Scripture reveals that all good gifts come from the Father of lights in whom there is no shadow of turning. God is engaged in doing good in our lives, not doing bad things.
3. Love Does Not Envy – Love does not begrudge others.
To begrudge others means you envy what they have been blessed with. God is not against blessing us for He in no way envies us. He wants to see His children blessed with all that He has promised in the Word of God. So don't believe satans lie that God does not want you blessed.
4. Love Is Not Puffed Up – Puffed up means to have an inflated view of self.
The reason this is important as it relates to God is because He does not tell us things that are not true. When someone has an inflated view of themselves they are going to tell you things that are not true, and often promise you things that they won't deliver on. Everything that scripture tells us about God you can believe, for God cannot lie. For some when they hear about how good God is they think God can't be that good. But He is.
5. Love Does Not Behave Rudely – Simply put, love is polite.
God is a perfect gentleman. This is important because as One who is polite that means if you want God involved in every part of your life you are going to have to invite Him in. He won't force His way into your life. Often Christians believe since they are born again that is all they need to do to see God work in their life. But if you want to see God at work in your life you will have to invite Him in, and He will gladly help.
6. Love Does Not Seek It's Own – Love is concerned about the real needs of others.
There is nothing of our lives that God does not want to be involved in. Because He is not self-seeking, He wants to become involved in helping to meet all our needs. God doesn't create problems in our life, He is the one who will help us to resolve them, but we can't fall for the lie thinking He is the problem, God is our solution.
7. Love Is Not Provoked – Love is even tempered.
Even though we know God has a righteous anger against evil, God is not going to fly off the handle with us. He is the picture of self-control. He does not become enraged with us because of what we may or may not have done. So never be afraid to approach Him. Don't ever run from God, run to Him.
8. Love Thinks No Evil – Love keeps no record of wrong.
The Bible does teach us that as believers we are going to stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account of our walk of faith in fulfilling His purpose for us, but God is not keeping a record of our transgressions as scripture reveals in 2 Cor. 5:19. As far as the east is from the west He remembers them no more. If we sin we break fellowship with God because we have turned from Him. But just repent, turn to Him, and you renew your fellowship.
9. Love Does Not Rejoice In Iniquity – Love does not like hearing bad news of others.
God is all about bringing forth good news to us. That is the heart of the gospel. It actually refers to bringing good news from the battlefield. That good news would be that the battle is won. Don't ever think that God enjoys hearing bad news about us. He is the one that will turn the bad news into good news.
10. Love Rejoices In The Truth – Love does not veil, cover up, nor edit the truth.
This is very important to understand about God. God does not in any way change the truth of His Word. This means several things. First of all He has never nor will He ever change His mind about the promises He has given to us. Secondly He will always tell us the truth, even when it may hurt at first to hear it. In knowing the truth, the truth is what sets us free. Don't fall for anyone who is veiling, covering up, or editing what God's Word says. It will only lead to deception and harm, not liberty.
11. Love Bears All Things – Love chooses to not focus on the faults of others, exposing them.
As scripture teaches love covers a multitude of sins (Proverbs 10:12). Remember God is love. He does not condone nor make light of living in sin, for the wages of sin is still death (separation from the God-kind of life). But God is not at work trying to publicly expose to everyone else our faults. Because He is love He bears all things, including the faults we have had in our life.
12. Love Believes All Things – Love looks at the best in everyone.
This is an obvious characteristic of God, and of course not of human nature. Humans tend to focus on the faults and bad in peoples live. Just look at all the gossip on the Internet and in Magazines. God is willing to believe and look at the best in everyone. He does not overlook those who lead people astray from the truth. He will expose such false teachings to keep people from being deceived and mislead.
13. Love Hopes All Things – Love sees better days ahead.
Even when things may not be going real good, God always sees better days ahead for us and so should we. His thoughts for us are filled with peace not evil, thoughts of a future and a hope for us. He is not making plans for you to fail, but to succeed!
14. Love Endures All Things – Love does not get discouraged.
God will not get discouraged with you. Did you hear that? He may be disappointed when we make wrong choices, but He does not get discouraged with us. He just keeps on loving us and reaching out to us.
15. Love Never Fails – Love is forever true.
You can count on God. He does not change. He is not up one minute and down the next. He is not there for you once in a while; He is there for you all the time. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He is forever true.
This is the God whom we serve. Because He loves us, we should love Him, and love one another. Revelation of who your God is will help you to walk like Him. Let God (love) transform your way of thinking and doing. Life will take on a whole new meaning for you, and you will then know why laying down your life and taking up His is so much better, because it is the way of love.