It’s February, and I know the topic of “love” is everywhere you turn. I get it! However, your reaction can and will tell you a lot about where you stand regarding love. Love can be a touchy topic for single moms. Hell, it’s touchy for singles in general. But I know you can overcome and understand love better with a proper foundation and time for reflection.
The Love Challenge: Better Understand Love
So in the past, I ran a love challenge in a facebook group that I did for christian single moms. The challenge was designed for women like you to join me in exploring “love” God’s way.
It included scripture, tasks, reflections, and even opportunities to share your thoughts and experiences. I wanted to do it in the Facebook Group to increase community for single moms and provide a safe space to explore our perspectives around love through the filter of God’s Word.
It was also a great opportunity to re-evaluate how I was feeling about love myself.
As a single mom, I have had distorted views on love from my upbringing, past relationships, and other experiences I’ve observed right in front of my eyes. As I was growing in my Christian walk, I realized that I had deficits in the love department.
Most of my pain points centered around experiences that I thought were love or where I was seeking love.
Once I finally recognized that God is love, it was time for me to dig deeper to understand love better from the Word.
Why is it so important to understand love better?
Just think back to all the relationships and experiences you’ve had in your life. Most of the relationships had some transaction of love or opportunity to operate in love, if not all.
Most of us have walked around with inadequate definitions and inaccurate displays of what love is—in return, affecting our interpretations as well as other’s experiences with love. This reasoning is why it’s so important to understand in a healthy way.
Think about your kids and how God chose you to guide them and steward them on this journey called life. Do you want the world to tell them what love is or experience things the hard way?
Any parent would want their child to not go through what they had to go through. The same thing applies to love; it must be taught and experienced to understand love better.
So I decided it’s time to do a topical study.
When I looked up all the love scriptures in the bible, I was overwhelmed, but I wanted to understand love so bad that I did the work of digesting love one verse at a time. And I wanted to share it with you.
Below is the list of my top bible verses to better understand love; the same verses I used for a the 28-Day Single Mom Love Challenge.
28 Bible Verses To Better Understand Love
(NLT version)
Week 1:
1 John 4:10
This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
Mark 12:31
The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
I Corinthians 13:4-5
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
I John 4:8
But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
Lamentations 3:22
The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease.
I Corinthians 13:6
It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
I John 3:18
Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.
Week 2:
Proverbs 13:24
Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children.Those who love their children care enough to discipline them.
I Corinthians 13:7
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
Ephesians 4:2
Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.
1 John 4:16-17
Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.
Romans 8:38-39
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2 Corinthians 6:12
There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us.
Song of Songs 3:4
Then scarcely had I left them when I found my love!
Week 3:
2 John 1:6
Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.
Colossians 3:14
Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
Proverbs 10:12
Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses.
1 John 4:18
Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.
Romans 12:9
Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.
Proverbs 17:17
A friend is always loyal (love), and a brother is born to help in time of need.
Matthew 22:37
Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’
Week 4:
Deuteronomy 6:4-5
“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.
John 14:23
Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.
Proverbs 27:5
An open rebuke is better than hidden love!
1 Corinthians 16:14
And do everything with love.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!
1 John 4:7
Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.
1 Corinthians 13:13
Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.
I’ve also included some honorable mentions to understand love better:
- 2 Corinthians 12:15
- Isaiah 42:18-19
- 1 Peter 4:8
- Psalm 13:5
- Romans 5:8
- Hebrew 13:5-6
- Luke 10:27
All in all,
Love is more than what you need. It’s more of how you can serve another in a healthy way, receiving the same love in return.
If you feel you need additional support around better understanding love God’s way, I would encourage you to pray to God to reveal himself to you so you can better understand love His way.
You can also reach out to a trusted spiritual friend or advisor who can walk with you and break down any bias/strongholds you may have.
Need more help to understand love and receive guidance to become more confident in loving and being loved?
Additional Post To Check Out:
- Remind Yourself Of How Loved You Are With These Quotes and Scriptures
- 5 Movies To Help Single Moms Believe in Love Again
- Simple Ways To Maintain Friendships As An Adult Based On Love Languages
You can also join the Women Seeking Confidence Facebook group for a community of women headed in the same direction as you in regards to growing in relationships:
