Love is not about how much you say, ‘I love you,’ but how much you prove that it’s true.”
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Is the World’s Idea of Love Wrong?
Valentine’s Day is coming! That means red hearts, chocolates, teddy bears, and lots of love songs. Everywhere you look, people are talking about love. But have you ever stopped to ask:
What is love, really?
Is love just about romance, hugs, and saying sweet words? Or is there something more?
Let’s take a closer look and find out what real love is—and what it isn’t!
Love Is Powerful, but It’s Been Twisted
Love is one of the most important things in the world. It’s what holds families together. It’s what makes friendships strong. It’s what God tells us to do every day.
But there’s a problem. Love has been changed.
The world now tells us that love is all about feelings—that it’s about romance, about how someone looks, or about giving the best gifts. People think love is just about dates, kisses, and red hearts.
But that’s not what real love is!
God tells us that love is much bigger, deeper, and better than just feelings.
What Love Really Means
Did you know that in the Bible, there are four different words for love?
- Eros – This is romantic love. It’s about attraction and feelings.
- Philia – This is the love between friends.
- Storge – This is the love between family members, like a mother and child.
- Agape – This is the most powerful love! It’s God’s love—a love that is patient, kind, and never selfish.
The problem is that the world only talks about eros, the romantic kind of love. But that’s not the most important love! The greatest love is agape—God’s love.
This love isn’t just about feelings. It’s about kindness, sacrifice, and doing what’s right—even when it’s hard.
Lust is easy. Love is hard.
(Read Also: Grace Embraced: Reflection on God’s Unconditional Love)
Why Does the World Call Love “Red”?
Every Valentine’s Day, we see the color red everywhere. But have you ever wondered why?
Red is a strong color. It stands for things like:
- Anger
- Danger
- War
- Passion and romance
Scientists even say that red makes people feel more attracted to each other. That’s why red dresses, red hearts, and red roses are everywhere on Valentine’s Day.
But the Bible never uses red to describe true love. Instead, red is often used to show:
- War and fighting (Isaiah 63:1-4; Revelation 6:4)
- Sin (Isaiah 1:18; Jeremiah 4:30; Revelation 17:1)
- Pride and wealth (Lamentations 4:5; Daniel 5:29)
So if red is linked to things like anger, sin, and war, why do we use it to celebrate love?
Because the world has confused love with passion. But passion fades. Real love doesn’t.
How the World Tricks Us About Love
Love is not something you feel. It is something you do. – David Wilkerson
Have you noticed that love stories in movies and music are always about feelings? They tell us that:
- Love is about romance (but romance can fade).
- Love is about attraction (but looks change).
- Love is about giving gifts (but money can’t buy love).
That’s not real love!
Real love is stronger than feelings. It’s about:
- Being patient with someone, even when they make mistakes.
- Helping others, even when it’s not easy.
- Forgiving people, even when they hurt us.
- Choosing to do what’s right, even when we don’t feel like it.
How Can We Show Real Love?
If love isn’t just about feelings, how can we live it out?
1. Love Like Jesus
Jesus showed the greatest love by giving His life for us (John 15:13). That’s real love—not just saying “I love you,” but proving it with actions.
We can love like Jesus by:
- Being kind to everyone—even those who are mean to us.
- Helping people who are in need.
- Forgiving others, just like God forgives us.
(Read Also: 10 Powerful Prayers for Forgiveness from God)
2. Choose the Right Kind of Love
Don’t be tricked by what the world says! Love is not just romance, and it’s not just about feelings. True love is:
- Patient
- Kind
- Not selfish
- Not jealous
- Never-ending (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)
3. Remember That Love Is Not Red—It’s Holy
Instead of thinking love is about red hearts and passion, think about what God says love is. Love is:
- Pure
- Good
- Sacrificial
- Unchanging
The Truth: Love Isn’t Red— What Real Love Looks Like
So, next time you see red hearts and Valentine’s decorations, remember this:
Love isn’t about passion. Love isn’t just a feeling. Love isn’t red.
Love is about choosing to do what’s right. Love is about putting others first. Love is about God.
So let’s not be tricked by the world’s fake love. Instead, let’s live out true love—the love that lasts forever!
Biblical Quotes on True Love (NKJV)
1. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 – The Characteristics of True Love
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
👉 This passage, often called “The Love Chapter,” describes what real love looks like. Unlike the world’s idea of love—based on emotions, attraction, or personal gain—true love is selfless, patient, and kind. It doesn’t get jealous, act arrogantly, or keep a record of wrongs. Most importantly, it never gives up and never fails.
2. John 15:13 – The Greatest Act of Love
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
👉 Jesus showed us the ultimate example of love by sacrificing His life for us. Love is not just about feelings or words—it is about action and sacrifice. True love puts others first and is willing to give up personal comfort or gain for the sake of someone else.
3. Romans 12:9 – Genuine Love vs. Fake Love
“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.”
👉 True love is sincere and real. It does not pretend or seek personal benefit. The world often promotes a shallow, erotic or selfish version of love, but God calls us to love genuinely. True love rejects evil and always chooses what is right and good.
4. 1 John 4:7-8 – God Is Love
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
👉 Love isn’t just something God does—it is who He is. If we claim to know God, we must show love to others because love comes from Him. Without God, there is no real love. If we must show love to others, it must not be on a particular day.
5. 1 John 4:10 – God’s Love for Us
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
👉 Love did not start with us, nor did it start with Saint Valentine—it started with God. He loved us first, even when we didn’t deserve it. His love is unconditional and was demonstrated through Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins.
(Read Also: Does God love me even though I keep sinning?)
6. 1 Peter 4:8 – Love Covers a Multitude of Sins
And above all things have fervent love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins.’
👉 This means that true love is forgiving. Instead of holding grudges, breaking hearts or seeking revenge, love chooses to forgive and let go of past hurts. Just as God forgives us, we must extend that same love and grace to others.
7. Ephesians 5:2 – Walk in Love Like Jesus
And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
👉 Love is not just a feeling; it is a way of life. We are called to live in love daily, just as Jesus did. It’s not a Febuary 14 thing. Jesus’ love was selfless and sacrificial, and that is the kind of love we should show to others.
8. Colossians 3:14 – Love Holds Everything Together
But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
👉 Love is what keeps relationships strong. Without love, everything falls apart. True love is the glue that holds friendships, families, and marriages together. Love doesn’t produce the heart breaking experiences seen in worldly relationships.
9. Galatians 5:22-23 – Love Is a Fruit of the Spirit
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
👉 Love isn’t something we create on our own—it is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. When we allow God to work in our lives, His love flows through us, making us more patient, kind, and forgiving.
10. Matthew 5:44 – Love Your Enemies
“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”
👉 True love isn’t just for friends and family—it also extends to our enemies. Loving those who hurt us may seem impossible, but Jesus commands it because love is powerful enough to transform hearts.
(Read Also: Am I Beyond Repentance? Am I Beyond Redemption? Here’s the Answer, Discover for Yourself!)
Final Thoughts on True Love
The Bible’s definition of love is different from what the world teaches. The world promotes red love. They show love as a temporary feeling based on attraction or personal happiness, but God’s love is deeper, stronger, and everlasting.
👉 True love is:
✔ Patient and kind (1 Corinthians 13:4)
✔ Sacrificial and selfless (John 15:13)
✔ Real and sincere (Romans 12:9)
✔ Forgiving and merciful (1 Peter 4:8)
✔ Given to both friends and enemies (Matthew 5:44)
If we want to experience true love, we must look to God, because God is love (1 John 4:8).
Read Also: Why Was King David So Special to God? (Discover and Apply)
