BEING ROOTED & GROUNDED IN LOVE A couple of months ago, my parents quietly celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary. My wife’s parents had been married 54 years when her father suddenly went home to be with the Lord 4 1/2 years ago. We have been blessed with having godly examples of biblical love. The apostle Paul prayed that the saints in Ephesus would be "rooted and grounded in love" (Ephesians 3:17). Today, we are witnessing the crumbling of a society that once was "one nation under God", but has now departed from its foundation of love for God, country, and fellowman. We are adrift on a restless sea of merciless waves driven by the relentless winds of relativism, created by the endless bloviating of secular humanists who are continually redefining marriage, family, life, and love. We need to "get back to our roots", and reexamine life and love through the eyes of the One who created life and is the Embodiment of Love. I want to briefly share 10 elements of love that have stood the test of time. I pray this "list of love" will bless and challenge your life. And because many are looking for love in all the wrong places, please share this article with others. This is not an exhaustive list, but here are 10 elements of genuine love. 1. Love is Supreme. The first and greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love others as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39). Of all Christian virtues, the greatest is love (I Corinthians 13:13). 2. Love is Sacrificial. The greatest example of this is God Himself who so loved us that He gave His only begotten Son so that we might believe in Him for our eternal salvation (John 3:16). You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving. 3. Love is Steadfast. A true friend loves at all times (Proverbs 17:17). God loves with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). Christ’s love for His disciples is to the very end (John 13:1). Genuine love bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things, and it never fails (I Corinthians 13:7-8). 4. Love is Sanctifying. Real love is pure. It abhors evil and clings to what is good (Romans 12:9). It does not rejoice in iniquity but in truth (I Corinthians 13:6). A godly husband will seek to sanctify and cleanse his wife, just as Christ seeks to purify His Bride, the Church (Ephesians 5:25-27). A godly Christian will seek to purify himself even as Jesus is pure (I John 3:3). 5. Love is Stimulating. "And let us consider one another in order to stir up to love and good works," (Hebrews 10:24). Love is perhaps the most powerful motivator on earth. The love of Christ compelled Paul to go all out for the One who gave His best for him. Love is compelling and contagious. 6. Love is Sweet. The Bible describes love as longsuffering, kind, and humble. It is not envious, arrogant, rude or selfish (I Corinthians 13:4-5). It is thoughtful, nourishing, cherishing, and loyal (Ephesians 5:28-33). Love endeavors "to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:1-3). 7. Love is Strong. Solomon wrote, "Love is as strong as death...many waters cannot quench love", (Solomon 8:6-7). Love can, and sometimes must be, tough. Love will always be tested, but genuine love will not be intimidated or deterred, it will hold fast "until death do us part". 8. Love is Saintly. Jesus said the greatest testament of our genuine discipleship is our evident and obvious love for one another. The world will know us by our love. 9. Love is Scriptural. The Bible is given so we will learn to love God and others. "Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith." (I Timothy 1:5). 10. Love is Spiritual. "...Love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love, does not know God, for God is love," (I John 4:7-8). God is the originator and personification of love, so to really be able to love, one must personally know God. This is possible through a believing relationship with God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Do you know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord? If so, then you can "know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God", (Ephesians 3:19). "Blest be the tie that binds, our hearts in Christian love; The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above."