February is the love month, so I thought it would be fun to spend several posts dissecting I Corinthians 13 and taking a close look at what love is and isn't.  It's easy to read through the familiar passage and nod our heads at the bold proclamations (Love is kind.  Love is patient.  Love bears all.), but living it is something different altogether.  So, let's talk about love.

Before we dig into the Love Chapter, let's take a moment to discuss what love is not.  It is not a fleeting, fuzzy feeling.  It is not the swirl of emotion that overcomes us when we see "that guy" or "that girl" for the first time.  It is not something we fall into or out of.  And it's certainly not what Hollywood portrays it to be.  Plain and simple, love is a choice.  It is the decision to hold someone in the highest regard and to show that respect and affection according to the principles laid out in I Corinthians 13.

Love truly is for better or worse, richer or poorer, and in sickness and health.  It doesn't quit when the going gets tough.  To fully understand it, we need only this one reminder:  God is love.  Examine God, and you'll see love in its purest form.  Giving, caring, unselfish.  God is all of these and much more.  He is the ultimate example of what love is and what it does.

I invite you to join me over the next couple of weeks as we take an "up close and personal" look at love as described by the only One who fully understands it--Love Himself.