Most people have a concept of what it means to love, but have a difficult time providing a good definition for this word. Some see it as a deep and tender feeling of affection or devotion. Some would describe it as loyalty or attachment towards someone or something. Some would say it means to take pleasure in something. Others understand love to be benevolent good-will that is shown towards someone.

All of these definitions indicate that love is something that is directed towards someone or something. All of us are capable of love. What we direct this love towards, and the degree to which it is directed, is a matter of choice. Seeing as how love is a very strong emotion, we must make sure our love is directed towards the proper things.

The Bible tells us there are some things that we are not to love. Among them are the world (1 John 2:15), money (1 Tim. 6:10), pleasure (Prov. 21:17), evil (Micah 3:2), lies (Rev. 22:15), the praise of men (John 12:43), and our physical lives (John 12:25). For our benefit, the Bible also tells us that there are some things that we should love.

God. In Matthew 22, Jesus was asked a question concerning the greatest commandment in the Law. Instead of picking one of the Ten Commandments, Jesus quoted a passage from Deuteronomy 6:5 and said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind" (Matt. 22:37). According to Jesus, the most important thing that man can do is to give God all of the affection, devotion, esteem, and loyalty that his entire being (heart, soul, mind) can muster.

Our Fellow Man. Jesus continued answering the question by identifying the second greatest commandment as "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (v. 39). Put in more practical terms, we are to treat others the way that we want to be treated (Matt. 7:12). If we are to love God, it makes sense that we are to love man who is made in the image of God (James 3:9).

Jesus concluded His remarks by showing the reason that loving God and man are the greatest commands. "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets" (Matt. 22:40). If we will devote ourselves to loving God and loving others as ourselves, we will not have to worry about keeping any law. Our love for God and man will keep up from sinning against them.

Our Brethren. Jesus told His apostles, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35). If we are to love God, shouldn't we naturally love His children? We are to have a love for all mankind, but there is a special bond with and preference towards our brethren (Gal. 6:10). Jesus indicates the importance of this love by stating that it is the evidence of our identity as His disciples to a lost and unbelieving world.

Our Spouse. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church (Eph. 5:25). This is not merely a sentimental love, but a sacrificing, sanctifying, and esteeming love. This is a kind of love that is not to be shared with anyone or anything else. The husband is also to love his wife as himself (vs. 28-29). He is to nourish and cherish her. Likewise, the wife is to love her husband (Titus 2:4). This term emphasizes affection and support.

Love must be present, directed toward the proper person, to the proper degree, in the proper manner, in order for a marriage to be what God intended.

Our Children. Parents must provide love for their children. However, this love must be shown in the proper manner, avoiding extremes. It is bad for a child to be spoiled or neglected, smothered or abandoned.

So far, we have looked at some obvious objects of our love. The following are some not-so-obvious objects of our love.

God's Commandments. Our love for God is shown by our attitude towards His word. "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome" (1 John 5:3). We need to learn to say with the psalmist, "Oh how I love thy law!" (Ps. 119:97, KJV).

Wisdom. Proverbs 4:5-9 extolls the virtues of wisdom and tells us to, among other things, "love her." The Hebrew word for "wisdom" has to do with skill. Thus, wisdom is the ability to be skillful in our use of knowledge, knowing how to use understanding. If we will love wisdom, we will pursue it and be blessed by it.

Truth. Paul speaks of those who are trapped in Satan's deception as men who "did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved" (2 Thess. 2:10). Truth has the ability to set us free and sanctify us (John 8:32, 17:17), but only if we will accept it. Truth can be challenging to us at times, which is why we must love it no matter what it requires of us. "Buy the truth, and sell it not" (Prov. 23:23, KJV).

Goodness. Elders are to be men who love what is good (Titus 1:8). The Greek word indicates that this would be a man who is fond of good and a promoter of virtue. We are to pursue what is good in our own lives, defend and uphold what is good in the world, and encourage good in others.

Salvation. The people of God are to love the fact that God has saved them. "Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; and let those who love Your salvation say continually, 'Let God be magnified!'" (Ps. 70:4). Our salvation is not to be taken for granted. It cost God the blood of His only begotten Son.

Conclusion. Love is such a strong motivating factor in our lives. It only makes sense that we have our hearts tuned to give our love to worthy objects. In doing so, we can be confident that we are living a life that will glorify God and be cherished as a blessing to others.