Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not conceited, does not act improperly, is not selfish, is not provoked, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. But as for prophecies they will come to an end; as for languages, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end.     1 Corinthians 13:4-8 HCSB

Have you ever found yourself searching for something when you have no idea what it looks like? Sometimes my husband will enlist my help to look for some type of gadget and I will have to have him describe it to me because I don’t know what it looks like.

Love is that way often times. We find ourselves looking for love, but we don’t know what it looks like. Our first example of love is usually our family. If we aren’t born into a family that functions as the Bible instructs us to function, the view may be a bit skewed. If our parents and our siblings don’t exhibit biblical love for each other, it may be hard for us to determine what love looks like.

We will still search for it. We may just have a hard time finding it if we don’t know what it looks like. Another problem with finding what is lost is we look in the wrong places. This is why we always say it’s the last place we looked.

If you are looking for love that will endure and last throughout the ages, look to the Lord. Study the Bible. The kind of love God has for us is the kind of love we should have for others. However, it’s hard to exhibit that love if we’ve never seen it in action.

Another Scripture passage that describes godly living is found in Galatians 5:22-23 and is described as the fruit of the Spirit. This includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control.

The problem is we often seek for love in sex, alcohol, drugs or even false religions or cults. We seek the kind of love and acceptance that Christ so freely gives. But we look for it in the wrong places. We surrender ourselves to things that will destroy us instead of surrendering ourselves to our Lord and Savior who gives us eternal life.

We fall into one of two groups. We are either looking for love or we have found love and should be guiding others to do the same. Our pastor often says we may be the only Bible others ever read. If you consider yourself a Christian, you should be sure that others can see Christ’s love in you. Jesus said, in John 13:35, that all people would know we are his disciples if we have love for one another. Can people see the way you love others and know you are a Christ follower? Do they see your love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness and self-control?

Paul also said in Galatians 5 verses 19-21 that the works of the flesh are obvious. These are sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, and carousing. We must be careful to avoid these things, because Paul tells us in verse 21 that anyone exhibiting these works of the flesh cannot inherit the kingdom of God.

Whether you know it or not, people all around you are looking for love, joy and peace in their lives. Will they see it in you? Will it be so obvious, they will ask you how they too can have what you have in Christ?

If you are looking for love, look to Jesus Christ. He’s what love looks like.

If you have found the true love that can only be found in Christ, show it to those around you. Be sure others can see Christ’s love in you. It’s up to you to show them what it looks like.

Have a great day!