The idea of “love” has become very common in today’s modern vernacular. We might hear someone say, “I loved that movie” or “I loved that restaurant” or “I loved that hamburger.” In many ways, our everyday use of the word “love” has trivialized its meaning.

Our careless speech makes it hard to discern what we mean when we say we “love” something.

This is especially evident when we use the word “love” to describe our feelings for the Lord. In light of our commonplace use of the word “love” … what is it we are saying when we say “I love the Lord?”

The Holy Spirit was not careless with the word “love” in God’s word. For instance, John wrote that “God so loved the word that He gave His only begotten Son…” (John 3:16). Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Jesus commanded us to “love one another as [He] has loved [us]” (John 15:12). “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).

Even in regards to familiar relationships, “love” is not used lightly. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her” (Eph. 5:24). “For this is the message that we have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another” (1 John 3:11).

Do we use the word “love” lightly and casually in our daily lives? Perhaps we bandy it around so carelessly that its meaning has become diluted in our lives? Should we not consider reserving the word “love” for things that truly merit our strongest and deepest affections? Though love is expressed in more than words (1 John 3:18), let us not forget that we shall give account for “every idle word” that we may speak in that day (Matt. 12:36).

“Love” is a big word (1 Cor. 13:13). Let us think carefully about how we use it.