The Misconceived beautiful

Is love really a feeling?

Over time we have come to the realisation of the fact that we can feel something for someone, something which we regard as a distinct feeling. On our part we see this as an intense feeling of care, something that we don’t feel for every one. When you feel so highly about someone, you may often think you are in love, but what actually does the word 'Love' mean? Is it a feeling?

So what does Love actually mean?

There are many qualities of love but amongst them is one most important; Love is unconditional.

This fact, many fail to understand, even those who claim to be in love with someone.

“Love is an intense feeling of affection/attraction towards someone or something”, “love is a feeling of care for someone or something” – according to the English Dictionary.

From these definitions so far, we would notice that when love is defined, the word feeling is often used. It helps describe the meaning of love. But from the use of this word has come the misconception, the misconceived notion that love is bound to just being a feeling. Off course when you love someone you would show or demonstrate actions and gestures of care as the case may be but beyond that there is more to Love being a feeling. What I am trying to say is that love isn’t just something you feel.

Yes, love is more than a feeling. If you have been told otherwise in the past, here’s something I really would like you to know. It’s true, as I earlier said, when you love someone, you would show them care; your extent of care will depend on the amount of affection you have for them. The true meaning of love lies in its characteristics. Let’s discuss these characteristics below:

Love is

• Kind

• Patient

• Forgiving

• A feeling of care and affection

• Wise

• Long suffering

Love can mean different things to different people but all that it could mean would be tied down to what it truly is which are listed above. When what it means to you fails to fit into any meaning listed above then your definition of love faulty and should be checked.

Love is kind

This is usually directed to people. When you have love for someone, you would show them kindness, you would not like them to become victims of circumstances because they had no one to warn them. Showing someone kindness can even go as far as telling them to their faces when they are wrong, rebuking them for a wrong doing, it also entails being kind enough to tell them the truth about themselves even when they do not want to hear it; telling them what they need to hear not what they want to hear instead. True love will always show itself in a demonstration of kindness even when the person loved and being shown the kindness misunderstands and picks an offense with the one who shows the love.

Love is patient

Love is indeed that which is willing to wait till the time is right. It’s not hasty as in it there is faith that the one who is loved will grow in understanding and maturity of mind set. Love is patient even when the beloved condemns the lover even in his patience.

Love is forgiving

Forgiveness can be a really difficult thing for one especially when the person you are to forgive hurt you so bad. We are humans and as such we tend to keep grievances within us when hurt. It is not so easy for the author too, I am human also. When it comes to love, it’s not that there is an absence of offenses but when these offenses come around something constrains one to overlook them and show positive attitude towards the beloved. Love creates an environment that doesn’t allow unforgiveness to thrive. Love doesn’t allow the memories of an offence to have the best of a person.

Love is caring and affectionate

The most common and easiest way to check for the presence of love in a person’s heart towards someone or others is care and affection. When these are absent, it therefore becomes difficult to know if for real love is present. This care that love brings can’t be hidden, even though hiding it is attempted, it will open itself exposed to visibility even unconsciously on the part of the one who loves.

Love is long-suffering

Love wouldn’t leave the beloved in the time of distress, it would cause the one who loves to stay with the beloved through difficult times. Those moments when it may look as though there is no pleasant or desirable future ahead, with love at heart, a person would agree to stay with you no matter what. Love would cause a person to stay with you long enough to bring out the best in you even if seems like there is nothing to write home about you. Love with patience would enable the one who loves to go through stress for you.

Love is wise

Many ignore this fact about love, the misconception of the idea of love has lead many astray as they have. Love is not foolish. Love does lead one to take actions without care for future repercussion. So the next time you think of love, look at it from the perspective of wisdom.

Of all these, Love is 'Unconditional'

The reason for the relevance of the above stated facts about Love is it’s overall quality of being unconditional. Come rain come shine love remains unmoved. It knows no seasons nor times, it is ever present, doesn’t go on vacation. True love is always there for you when you need it. It does not depend on status, class, educational background, marital status, religion or whatsoever. If it says it’s there for humanity, it is there humanity. Too fortunate I would say, only God has this love currently at work. All other meaning of love would make no sense if this one was out of place. To really know and understand true love, we should learn from God, studying his dealings with man and understanding his personality. It’s so because God is the origin of love, he himself is love, whoever must love perfectly must come to him as his nature is love, that’s just who he is. Come to him so that you can be created anew with this nature.

The love of God is expressly demonstrated through his first begotten son as a show of his love, mercy, care patience, long-suffering with humanity, forgiveness, kindness and many more things that has shown and still does towards humanity. His love is everlasting and full of wisdom.