Love

It's almost Valentine's Day, and everyone is giddy with excitement. =] Here is a writing assignment I did a few months ago, I thought it was appropriate for this time of year.



“I love you.” This is a phrase commonly used, especially during Valentines Day. However, people take delight in saying it year around. Often times it looses its meaning as it is used to describe feelings toward objects as well as people. Love is a word which is nowadays abused as a common word. Looking deeper at the word love, it is evident that there is more to this word than meets the eye. A clearer understanding of love can be found by examining its definition, the five love languages, and some excellent examples of true love.

In today's society, love is defined in so many different ways, it quickly looses its true meaning. In the dictionary love is defined as “a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.” Obviously the original meaning was meant towards a person, not an object. It is the immense liking of another person that grows into the word “love”. In the Bible, love is defined in this way in I John 4:10: “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” God has a passionate love for us, so much that He let His only Son die for us. The definition of love began with God himself, as He created the world, and sent His Son.

Another way to examine love is presented by a Christian writer, Gary Chapman, and he explains that there are five main ways of expressing love. He calls them the five love languages. The first is words of affirmation, meaning the act of giving a compliment, or encouragement. The second is quality time, spending time with those you love, and showing them how much you care. The third is giving gifts, expressing your appreciation towards a person. The fourth is acts of service, going out of your way to provide aid to a person. The fifth language is physical touch, which is giving hugs or a shoulder to lean on. The five love languages presents a clear look of what love means.

Finally, there are many examples of love throughout history that show true love. The best example of love is when Jesus died for us. By doing this, He showed what true love is, laying down your life for someone else. Another example is much more recent, but still relevant. In 1979, Chuck Colson started a ministry called Prison Fellowship, because he felt a love for inmates and their families. History reveals a picture of how people from long ago defined love, and how they demonstrated this love.

Now that love has been defined, sorted into five love languages, and expressed through history, it is easier to see what love really is. The dictionary tell us how love is a strong feeling of affection towards someone. By exploring the five love languages, it can be seen how to express this love. Then, searching through history, it can be found how people all around the word value love. Everyone wants to be loved, and have a true understanding of what love really is.