We often define love based on what we enjoy or value most. But when it comes to the real question… what does love look like?… the answers vary wildly. That’s why followers of Jesus must go beyond culture and personal preference and seek love’s true source: God. As 1 John 4:8 reminds us, “God is love.” So, any correct understanding of love must begin with Him.
What Does Love Look Like in the Bible?
The most famous passage that defines love is found in 1 Corinthians 13. Let’s take a closer look:
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” — 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV)
These verses reveal that real love is not about feelings, it’s about choices and actions. It’s patient, kind, and grounded in truth. This is what love looks like according to God.
What Love Does Not Look Like
Verse 6 tells us that love does not delight in evil. Evil includes anything that goes against God’s commands: harmful actions, unforgiveness, or taking pleasure in someone else’s suffering. When someone who has hurt us suffers, love does not celebrate. Instead, love forgives, just as God forgave us through Christ.
If someone doesn’t know Jesus, we shouldn’t avoid them or write them off. Instead, love compels us to share the truth with them. Love rejoices in truth, not in vengeance or silence.
Aligning with God’s Definition of Love
Ask yourself: how does your definition of love compare with God’s? What actions or thoughts need to change for your love to be more like His?
Today, spend a moment reflecting on who you can love better. Ask God to show you two or three people who need His love and commit to sharing it with them through your words, actions, and prayers.
~This devotional is featured on the YouVersion Bible App.
Frequently Asked Questions
Love is patient, kind, truthful, forgiving, and enduring. It doesn’t rejoice in wrongdoing but delights in what is right, as described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.
Worldly love often focuses on feelings and self-interest. God’s love is sacrificial, truth-filled, and focused on the good of others, even at personal cost.
Yes. Biblical love is action-based, not feeling-based. Through God’s strength, you can choose to act lovingly even when emotions are lacking.
Spend time in Scripture, pray for the Holy Spirit’s help, and practice forgiveness and kindness daily. The more you abide in Christ, the more you’ll reflect His love.
Yes, you will. God seems to reveal himself in different ways to different people and His Spirit can profoundly help us to grasp supernatural truths. Much of this is a mystery itself but the more time you spend getting to know Him through reading the Bible and praying, you will begin to know how much He loves you.
