John 3:16 tells us this: For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. (NLT)

Based on this Scripture alone, God’s love is the most important, influential force we will ever know.

Unfortunately, today’s culture often devalues love and confuses it with “like.” Our language reflects this; we all make statements such as, “I love shopping”, I love pizza”, or “I love Mozart.”

In many ways, we’ve downgraded the strength of love to mean something we enjoy. Love is much more powerful than simply how we feel about something or someone. We can like something today and dislike it tomorrow. Love is a decision.

John 15:13 explains love this way: There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Romans 5:8 describes God’s love in action: God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

I’m so thankful that God didn’t merely find me likable, but He loved me enough to send His only Son to go to the cross for me and then sealed His love in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us (1 John 3:16).

Many will remember the famous movie line “You complete me.” As touching and heartfelt as that sentiment is, as human beings, we are flawed and oftentimes fail. Therefore, our love is flawed and oftentimes fails. We do not have the capacity to complete another, however much we may love them.

My prayer for us all is what the Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:19: May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.