Do You Have True Love?

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing.
If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing.
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
I Cor. 13:1-7 (NLT)
My wife and children constantly hear the words, "I love you" from my lips. I hardly end a phone conversation with my wife without uttering those words to her. When my kids return from school and I am home, they would come straight to my study, give me a hug and say, "love you, Dad."
There are other close people around me to whom I utter the words, "I love you" all the time.
Verbally expressing our love to those we care about gives them a sense of true care. 

Paul tells us through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that everything we do would be useless if it is not motivated by love. We could have every spiritual gift in Heaven and do every kind of good deed under the Sun, but it would all be worthless if we do not have love in our hearts. So, while it is great to tell those I care about that I love them, those words would be utterly useless if there is no true love in my heart. It would be mere verbiage not supported by action. Totally useless! 

So, what is true love in the practical sense?
True love is patient and kind.
True love is not jealous.
True love is not boastful.
True love is not proud or rude.
True love does not demand its own way.
True love is not irritable.
True love keeps no record of being wronged.
True love hates injustice and rejoices when truth wins out.
True love never gives up and never loses faith.
True love is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance.

So, I have a challenge, and so do you. My utterance of the words, "I love you," must be backed by all the qualities that signify true love. Love is a weighty word.  Do you have true love?


Prayer: Lord, love is not an empty word. It is practical as the scripture so clearly asserts. Please help me to live out the qualities of true love. Amen.