Love Is Enough

Whenever I hear people say, "Love is not enough," I am genuinely intrigued.

Not because the statement is entirely without merit, but because it makes me wonder, "What exactly do we mean by love?"

I believe the problem is not that love is insufficient. Perhaps the problem is that many of us have been calling things "love" that Scripture never called "love" in the first place.

The world has many definitions of love. Some define it by feelings. Others define it by attraction, compatibility, chemistry, convenience, reciprocity, or what another person makes them feel. And when those things disappear, love is said to have disappeared with them.

But the love God reveals to us is radically different.

For the Christian, love cannot be defined merely by culture, romance, emotion, or personal preference. God is love (1 John 4:8). Therefore, God Himself is the ultimate revelation of what love is.

This is why I find the statement "love is not enough" difficult to accept without qualification.

If by love we mean mere emotion, attraction, sentimentality, or affection, then certainly, that kind of "love" is not enough.

But if by love we mean the kind of love that Scripture reveals. The love that comes from God, that is shaped by God, submits to God, and seeks the good of others, then I would argue that we have misunderstood love if we say it is insufficient.

Biblical love is not merely something we feel. It is something we become and something we do.

Not Every Love Is The Same

Scripture uses different words and expressions to describe love, and the Greek language gives us helpful distinctions.

There is eros, which is commonly associated with romantic or sexual love.

There is philia, associated with friendship, affection, and mutual fondness.

There is also storgē, which describes natural affection, particularly within families.

And then there is Agapē.

Agapē is the word that has become especially associated with the self-giving, sacrificial love revealed in God and demonstrated supremely in Christ.

We should, however, be careful here. Agapē is not simply a mystical Christian word for "perfect love," nor does Scripture teach that every occurrence of the Greek word automatically means God's love. What matters is how Scripture itself describes and demonstrates love.

And when we look at Scripture, we discover something profound. God's love does not depend upon the loveliness of its object.

Hear what Scripture says:
"For while we were still sinners, Christ died for us"

— Romans 5:8

And Jesus also said:
"Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other."

— John 13:34

The standard is not, "Love people as long as they remain lovable."

The standard is, "Love as I have loved you." That changes everything.

Human affection can be strongly influenced by what we find attractive, desirable, admirable, or beneficial in another person.

We may love people because they make us happy, because they understand us, because they are beautiful, because they are kind to us, because they share our interests, or because they make our lives better.

But the love revealed in Christ moves differently!

God did not wait for us to become worthy before He loved us. He loved us while we were still sinners.

That is why biblical love cannot ultimately be founded on circumstances.

Things change with time: Feelings change, circumstances change, people change, bodies change, careers change, finances change. Personalities develop, and sometimes, expectations are disappointed, and even people we deeply love will sometimes fail us.

However, the love of God does not fluctuate with the performance of its object.

And when we learn to love from that foundation, our love begins to look very different.

So What Does Love Actually Look Like?

Scripture gives us perhaps the clearest description of love in 1 Corinthians 13.

Notice that it doesn't primarily describe love as a feeling. It describes its character.

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude."

— 1 Corinthians 13:4, ESV

That means love is visible:

You can see it in how someone responds.
You can hear it in how they speak.
You can recognise it in what they do when they have been hurt.
You can see it in how they treat people who cannot benefit them.

Love is not merely what happens in the heart, as it will eventually reveal itself through life.

Love is Patient and Kind.

Love does not rush to punish people for being imperfect. It does not exploit another person's weakness, nor does it delight in someone's failure.

It does not look for opportunities to humiliate people because they made a mistake, but is patient because it understands that people are works in progress.

Love seeks the good of others.

This does not mean love ignores sin or refuses to tell the truth. Jesus was both gracious and truthful. Biblical love does not confuse kindness with permissiveness.

While loving someone can mean comforting them, it can also mean correcting them when and where necessary.

While it means forgiving people, it can sometimes also mean confronting them.

But correction can be motivated by love rather than contempt. Love seeks restoration, not destruction.

Love does not envy.

This is one of the clearest ways biblical love differs from our natural impulses.

When someone else succeeds, love does not feel diminished. When someone receives an opportunity we wanted, love does not immediately ask, "What about me?"

When God blesses another person's life, love does not interpret their blessing as evidence of its own rejection.

Love can genuinely celebrate another person's victory. It can say:

"I am grateful that God is doing something beautiful in your life."

Not because our own desires have disappeared, but because love is not consumed by self.

There is something deeply beautiful about being able to rejoice when another person rejoices.

— Romans 12:15 tells us:
"Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep."

That is love.

Love does not boast.

Love does not constantly announce itself. It does not need to prove its superiority, nor does it need to remind everyone of its achievements.

It does not walk into every disagreement with placards of its accomplishments. It does not say:

"Do you know who I am?"
"Do you know what I have achieved?"
"Who are you to speak to me like that?"

It does not need to make someone else feel small to feel significant.

Why?

Because love is secure enough not to make everything about itself!

Love is not prideful, arrogant or rude.

Pride asks, "How can I win?"

Love asks, "How can I honour God and treat this person rightly?"

While pride is concerned with status, love is concerned with service.

While pride asks to be respected, love gives respect.

While pride looks down, love stoops.

And one of the greatest pictures of this is our Lord Jesus Himself. Hear what the Scriptures say about Him:

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross.

— Philippians 2:5-8

Love embraces justice and righteousness.

Love does not rejoice when wrong is done, even when the person suffering the wrong is someone we consider an enemy.

Love does not take pleasure in another person's downfall, pain, humiliation, or failure simply because we believe they deserve it. It does not celebrate injustice because it happens to someone we dislike. Instead, love grieves over what is wrong and desires what is right, even when the wrongdoer is someone who has wronged us.

Love therefore does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. It celebrates honesty, righteousness, restoration, and what is good.

Love is not comfortable with lies simply because they benefit us, nor does it defend what is wrong simply because it was done by someone we love. Love dares to stand with truth, even when the truth is inconvenient, painful, or costly.

To love is to desire that what is right ultimately prevails.

Love never gives up.

Love never loses faith. It keeps trusting, keeps hoping, and keeps enduring. Love understands that people can change, situations can turn around, and what seems hopeless today may not remain hopeless forever. It refuses to reduce a person to their worst mistake or a circumstance to its present condition.

This does not mean that love ignores reality, tolerates abuse, or refuses to acknowledge when something is wrong. It rather means that love refuses to surrender to cynicism, bitterness, or despair. It continues to hope for redemption, restoration, healing, growth, and better days.

Love endures through life's ups and downs

Whether with people or with circumstances, love perseveres. When relationships are tested, when expectations are disappointed, and when life does not unfold as we hoped, love remains steadfast. It does not easily walk away simply because things have become difficult.

As long as there is life, there is still the possibility of change. As long as a person is still breathing, their story is not necessarily finished.

Love gives room for repentance, growth, reconciliation, restoration, and a new beginning.

Love, therefore, is not merely a feeling we have when things are good. Love is a conviction to keep choosing what is good, to keep believing in what is possible, to keep hoping for what is better, and to keep enduring even when the journey becomes difficult.

God is love... and if God is enough, then so is Love.