This is one of the reasons I decided to start a blog; Love. I love God, I love people, and I love myself (haha). On a more serious note, I believe that if everyone operates from a place of love, the world will be better for it.

What is Love?

As a Christian, I believe God is love (1 John 4:18). Pretty straightforward right? Sometimes, I feel that many do not understand that statement. God is not [just] loving, He IS love. It is who He is. You can separate a person from what he/she does or where he/she is from, but you cannot separate a person from who they really are. In the same vein, you cannot separate God from love and vice versa i.e. true love doesn’t exist without God and God doesn’t exist without love.

There is no version of God without love and this is amazing news!

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Who to Love

1. God (Deuteronomy 6:5)
2. Our neighbours (Matthew 22:39)
3. Our Enemies (Matthew 5:43-44)

I believe this encompasses everyone on the planet.

Who not to Love

I am yet to find a person who is unlovable. What the Bible does teach us though is not to love the world or the things in it.

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you,
for when you love the world,
you do not have the love of the Father in you

1 John 2:15 (NLT)

Characteristics of Love

To clarify, when I say love, the love being referenced is true love and should not be mistaken with infatuation or lust. I’m referring to the love that originates from God. Below are some characteristics I believe one should look for in their quest for love or in their relationships with loved ones. My reference point is the Bible.

1. Patience
2. Kindness
3. Devoid of envy
4. Humility
5. Slow to anger
6. Selfless
7. Without fear

In conclusion, I do not agree with the statement: Love is blind. Why? As you can see above, these characteristics of genuine love are laced with intentionality. For example, one cannot accidentally erase the memory of wrongdoings. One has to be intentional to do that. One needs to be aware to do that. One needs to see clearly figuratively and emotionally.

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What is your definition of love? Have you met anyone you deemed unlovable? If so, what was it about them that made you conclude so?

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