Love is probably the hardest word to describe, and people often mistake it for things that "don't rise to the level of what love is and what love does," according to Pastor Paul Tripp.
However, it's easy to notice what love isn't, he said. The founder of Paul Tripp Ministries cited examples. Love is not tolerating things that are wrong in the eyes of God in order to create a comfortable surface peace, he said. Neither is love shown by saying, "It's okay, don't worry about it" to a person who did something wrong, he added.
Tripp wrote in his website that love is not asking others to tolerate wrong things being done, and it certainly isn't remaining silent when people need to speak up. Love is not defined by people who avoid confrontation and tense moments either, because maintaining peace at any cost is not love, he pointed out.
"Real, biblical, self-sacrificing, God-honoring love never compromises what God says is right and true," explained Tripp. "Truth and love are inextricably bound together."
People who are willing to go through tense and difficult moments in order to achieve what God wants are the ones showing true love, he said. People often choose to remain silent in order to avoid issues, but this only shows that people love themselves and not the other person, he stated.
He said "willingly avoiding issues and letting wrong things go on unchecked...because we love ourselves and just don't want to go through the hassle of dealing with something that God says is clearly wrong. We are unwilling to make the hard personal sacrifices that are the call of real love."
Of course, people should not mistake "love" with being self-righteous, judgmental, critical, and condemning either. Tripp clarified that the only model of what love does in the face of wrong is the Cross of Jesus.
"Love doesn't call wrong right. Love doesn't ignore wrong and hope it goes away. Love doesn't turn its back on you because you are wrong. Love doesn't mock you. Love doesn't mean I turn the tables and work to make you hurt in the same way you have hurt me. Love doesn't go passive and stay silent in the face of wrong," he explained.
