The word gets used millions of time, daily, around the world but we do not understand it.  Modern culture depicts love in a idealized form associated with pleasant feelings.

The Greeks used at least four words to describe love namely agápe, éros, philía, and storgē
 -  agape is the Biblical New Testament sacrificial love.
 -  éros is passionate love, with sensual desire and longing.
 -  philía is friendship and loyalty between friends, family.
 -  storgē natural affection of parents for offspring.

Love is the highest command, value and gift in the Christian Faith and we need to focus and understand it.
 

LOVE IS SACRIFICE

John 3:16 sets the agenda for the church:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,”

The age old pattern of humans sacrificing to the gods is reversed.  God shows his love for the cosmos by giving his son over to humanity to do as we will.

Jesus is described by John as loving his own to the logical conclusion.  He loved them to the end - till nothing was left.  The end of love for God was death, being given over.

John 13:1 “Now before the Passover Festival, Jesus realized that his hour had come to leave this world and return to the Father.  Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end”.

LOVE SUFFERS

The King James version of the Bible translates 1Corinthians 13:4 as follows, “Charity suffereth long, ...”

This is why the Christian faith is only for the tough.  It is far easier to isolate yourself from people and their struggles.  To deal with people is to get hurt in the sacrifice of love.
 

THE DEFINITION OF LOVE

Love is not a feeling but a decision and a set of actions.

“Little children, we must stop expressing love merely by our words and manner of speech; we must love also in action and in truth.” (1John 3:18).

(1Corinthians 13:4 - 8)
Love is always patient; - traffic, waiting for wives for 50 years.
Love is always kind; - control your tongue.
Love is never envious or arrogant with pride - things below people.
Nor is she conceited, - “puffed up” - other see through you.
And she is never rude; - the tongue again.
She never thinks just of herself – love puts others first.
Never gets annoyed - this humanly possible? God is Love - through us.
She never is resentful; - forgives easily.
Is never glad with sin; - sin is the opposite of love.
She's always glad to side with truth, and pleased that truth will win - love cannot exist without God's truth.
She bears up under everything;
Believes the best in all;
There is no limit to her hope,
And never will she fall.
Love never fails....

THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE .... WITHOUT THE IMPARTATION OF GOD'S LOVE - AS A MANIFESTATION OF THE SPIRIT - LOVE IS A PLANTING OF GOD IN OUR HEARTS

LOVE COMES FROM OBEDIENCE TO THE TRUTH
OBEDIENCE TO GOD'S COMMAND TO LOVE & FORGIVE

1Peter 1:22  "Now that you have obeyed the truth and have purified your souls to love your brothers sincerely, you must love one another intensely and with a pure heart."

Only with God's truth supreme in our lives can we be purified so that the Spirit can take control and direct us in love.