Know God - Know Love

*After the Sunset, Hawaii Island

🎸 I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS

I’ve always loved music. I grew up in the ‘80s—MTV, American Bandstand, rock and pop ballads, vinyl records, and cassette tapes. That was the “old-school” era of no-tech. While music culture and how we listen to it have changed, one thing hasn’t: Love songs. They’re timeless.

*Me and my Uke

One of my all-time favorites is the 1984 classic “I Want to Know What Love Is” by Foreigner.

The songwriter, Mick Jones, experienced a lot of failed relationships. He was searching for real, lasting love—the kind that could “change this lonely life” and “love that you feel inside.”

In writing the song, he sensed a spiritual pull, so he added a gospel choir to emphasize its emotion and message. You can hear the sadness and desperation in his voice enhanced by the powerful choir.

We all long for a love that gives us a sense of belonging, purpose and connection because we weren’t created to go through life feeling empty or alone.

The truth is, in this lifetime, most of us will experience heartbreak. Even in solid marriages or long-term relationships, there will be “heartaches and pains.” It’s part of life.  But God didn’t leave us to figure love out on our own.

While the world often points us toward a love that’s superficial—centered on feelings, appearance, or things—God offers us something much better.
A love that’s eternal, faithful, and true.

Only Jesus can fill the deepest need in our hearts.
Only He can show us what love really is.

👉 So, as you keep reading, we’ll explore what real love looks like—not the kind wrapped in romance or material things, but the kind rooted in God’s Word.
The kind of love that transforms, restores, and never fails.
The kind of love that we were created for.

 

📖 BIBLICAL LOVE

You’ve probably heard people say things like, “I love my car,” “I love sushi,” or “I love my job.” While those expressions sound like love, they’re just fondness for something temporary. It doesn’t satisfy the deeper longing we all have—to love and be loved in a real, lasting way.

God’s Word gives us a much deeper picture of love. The Bible highlights four types of love that we’re meant to cultivate in our daily lives:

👉🏻 The 4 Characteristics of Love

• 💖Storge (STOR-jay) – Family love. This is a natural, steady affection—like the love a parent has for a child or the bond between siblings. Home is where we first learn what love looks like.  We see this in the relationship between Noah and his family, working together to build the Ark while facing mockery and isolation. (Genesis 6–7)
• 💗Philia – Friendship love. This kind of love is deep, loyal, and grounded in trust, mutual respect, and shared values. One of the beautiful examples is the bond between David (a shepherd and musician) and Jonathan (a prince and warrior). Their friendship endured through personal and physical warfare.  (1 Samuel 18–20)
• 💓Eros (AIR-os) – Romantic love. This is the passionate and emotional connection found in romantic relationships. If this love is not short-lived, it can grow into the kind of love that leads to marriage. The Song of Solomon beautifully captures the longing and intimacy of this love.
• 💘Agape (uh-GAH-pay) – Unconditional, sacrificial love. This is the highest form of love, such as one who gives his life for another whether it’s for family, friends, or even a stranger in need. It’s the love Jesus showed when He gave His life for us. He said, “I lay down My life... and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish”  (John 10:17, 28). Agape is love in action, without condition or expectation of return.

Notice how each of these forms of love involves relationships with people, not things.

*Sisters (Hapuna Beach, Hawaii Island)

True love is more than a feeling. It is enduring and selfless; It is love that reflects the heart and nature of God.

❤️ THIS IS TRUE LOVE

You’ve probably heard 1 Corinthians 13:4–8 read at weddings. It’s one of the most cherished Scripture passages about love. Depending on the Bible translation, this chapter is titled “The Excellence of Love,” “The Greatest Gift,” “Love Is the Greatest,” or “The Way of Love.”

It’s the perfect “vow” to reflect on before exchanging rings, because it’s a reminder that when the hard times come (and they will), we are called to “put on love, which is the bond of perfection.” (Colossians 3:14)

1 Corinthians 13:4–8 (NASB) says:

🕊 The Excellence of Love

• Love is patient
• Love is kind
• It is not jealous
• Love does not brag
• It is not arrogant
• It does not act disgracefully
• It does not seek its own benefit
• It is not provoked
• It does not keep an account of a wrong suffered
• It does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth
• It keeps every confidence (never gives up)
• It believes all things (never loses faith)
• It hopes all things
• It endures all things
• Love never fails

It reads like a long to-do list. But this isn’t about memorizing a checklist or feeling overwhelmed by what love should be.

When I’m in a heated argument with my husband, I’m not quoting 1 Corinthians 13 in my head. But it helps to pause for a moment and remember love is patient. That’s the first thing Paul wrote.

1 Corinthians 13 isn’t just for weddings or relationships—it applies to every part of our lives. Love is a verb. It’s shown in our actions, big and small:

• Holding the door for a stranger
• Helping a coworker
• Volunteering for a cause
• Giving generously without expecting anything in return

🙏🏻 I’ve always admired the life of Saint Mother Teresa (1910–1997). Her love story wasn’t a traditional one—her true love was Jesus Christ. The deep, unwavering love enabled her to serve the poorest of the poor in some of the worst working conditions and hardest places on earth. I first learned about her in Catholic school, and even as a child, I was in awe.

Despite the heartbreaking conditions she faced, she never lost the joy of service. The strength she carried came from the Holy Spirit, and her life was a beautiful example of agape love in action. She received countless honors—including the Nobel Peace Prize (1979) and the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1985)—but her goal was never recognition; it was always to love as Christ loved.

Mother Teresa wrote:

“Love has no meaning if it isn’t shared. Love has to be put into action… to love without expectation; to do something for love itself – not for what you may receive. If you expect something in return, then it isn’t love, because true love is loving without conditions and expectations.”

(Mother Teresa, “A Simple Path” (New York: Ballantine Books, 1995), 87)

We’re not all called to serve in the same way she did, but we are all called to love.
Jesus said it best:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind... and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37–39)

In the meantime, we do what we can—right where we are—using the gifts, skills, talents, and opportunities God has given us.

“Stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” (1 Corinthians 16:13–14)

 

🙌 WHAT DOES LOVE LOOK LIKE?

God is the Source of love.
“God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

Out of that love for us, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, as the perfect example for us to follow. When we choose to follow Jesus and accept Him as our Lord and Savior, His Holy Spirit comes to live in us—empowering us to love in ways we couldn’t on our own. (John 14:26)

The Apostle John said simply:

“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. But if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, because He has given us of His Holy Spirit.” (1 John 4:11–13)

This line—“No one has seen God at any time”—is easy to overlook, but it’s deeply important. It tells us this: While people may not see God physically, they can see Him in us—through our love, our actions, our kindness, our patience, and our compassion.

As believers, we are called to be imitators of Christ.
To love like He loved.
To serve like He served.
To live in a way that shows the world who He is.

Through the Spirit of God, we’re given the power—and the freedom—to be transformed. Paul describes it beautifully in 2 Corinthians 3:18:

“But we all, with unveiled face, looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

As we love, serve, and live for Him, we’re being transformed to the very image of love.

😒 But what happens when we don’t feel like showing or giving love—especially to those who feel unlovable in the moment?

Maybe it’s during an argument...
Maybe someone annoyed you...
Maybe your pet just made a mess (again)...
Or dealing with road rage in traffic.

We’ll all face them, whether we see them coming or not.

Because of our sin nature, we’re prone to drift into impatience, frustration, pride, selfishness—the opposite of love. But this doesn’t make us less of a Christian.

We’re not saved by our ability to love perfectly—we’re saved by grace. The Holy Spirit convicts us by nudging (or sometimes firmly correcting) us when our thoughts, words, or actions don’t line up with the love of Christ.

He is the One who sees all, knows all, and loves you anyway.
He lovingly calls us to humble ourselves, repent, and remember who we are in Christ.

We are children of God, called to walk in love, even when it’s hard. And thankfully, we don’t have to do it alone.

Because God is love, He is patient and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in mercy. (Psalm 103:8)

He gives us more opportunities to grow. More moments to practice the Excellence of Love from 1 Corinthians 13.

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.” (Lamentations 3:22–23) 

 

📖 CLING TO THE ANCIENT PATHS

“Know that the Lord your God, He is God—the faithful God who keeps His covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.” (Deuteronomy 7:9)

🙏🏻I love how the Bible uses the word “cling”—it’s such a powerful image. To cling means to hold on tightly.

And we’re called to cling to:
• God’s truth
• The saving grace of Jesus
• The leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit

Just like the faithful men and women of old, we’re reminded to remember who God is, to walk in His ways, and to love Him with our whole heart.

Throughout Deuteronomy (a.k.a. the Book of Remembrance), Moses keeps pointing the Israelites back to God’s goodness—how He rescued them from Egypt, cared for them in the wilderness, and gave them commandments as an act of love.

“Follow the Lord your God… keep His commandments, listen to His voice… and cling to Him.” (Deuteronomy 13:4)

Later, Joshua passed on the same message to the next generation:

“Be strong… love the Lord your God, walk in all His ways, keep His commandments… and cling to Him with all your heart and soul.” (Joshua 22:5)

King David echoed it with beautiful intimacy:

“My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.” (Psalm 63:8)

And before he died, David urged Solomon to stay close to God—to walk in His ways and keep His commands, so that he would prosper in everything he did. (1 Kings 2:2–3)

Fast forward to Jeremiah’s time—God’s people had drifted. They forgot the God of their ancestors and followed their own ways. Jeremiah pleaded with them:

“Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Jeremiah 6:16)

But they refused. And as Jeremiah prophesied, they were exiled into Babylon for 70 years.
Still—even then—God’s love never quit.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3–4)

There’s so much we can learn from their stories.
Let’s not forget the lessons. When they listened, they prospered and found rest.

The ancient paths—they were marked out by God Himself. And here’s the amazing part:
He hasn’t changed.
He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever.
He is the Alpha and the Omega.

Let’s cling to the ancient paths—the path of truth, obedience, and love.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5–6)

This is the path Jesus summed up when He said:

“Love the Lord your God… and love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37–40)

If we cling to Him—led by His Spirit—we’ll walk in the life of abundance that Jesus promised. (John 10:10)

Lastly, the Apostle Paul reminds us in the New Testament:

“Let love be without hypocrisy… cling to what is good.” (Romans 12:9)

God is love. God is good.
Let’s spend time with Him—daily. Not out of duty, but out of desire.

In your quiet moments, open His Word, pray, and just be with Him.

Because to know how to love…we need to know the One who is love.

“The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

 

🌍 Our Mission

At ZEALOUS, we believe our business is more than apparel—it’s a MOVEMENT— an AWAKENING to grow in our Christian faith, glorify God and share the Gospel with the world.

Our mission is to live ZEALOUSLY for the Lord, every day.
Let everything you do reflect Christ’s love and truth.

Be ZEALOUS 4 the LORD

Be ZEALOUS 4 LIFE

Let’s walk this journey together—faithfully, joyfully, ZEALOUSLY.

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