We all have our own definition of true love based on our experiences. Whether it be a faithful and beautiful relationship of 75 years between our great-grandparents, or brand-new and inspiring love that a man brought to our (no longer) single mother.

Maybe you don't believe in true love because you were raised in a broken home or never in a stable home environment long enough to develop deep relationships. Even still, maybe you were raised in a very loving home, full of smiling faces and fond memories, but somewhere along the line the idea of love was ruined for you and you've turned your back on it ever since.

Regardless of your feelings towards love, we all have some idea of what it should look like.

But, the image we're supposed the follow, the image of perfect & faultless love, can only be found in 1 Corinthians 13. Here, love is described as patient, kind, content and humble.

It speaks of how love is honoring of others, selfless, slow to anger and never holds a grudge. "It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails..." (verses 7-8a).

True love never fails, but only if it's the right kind of love. The Jesus kind of love.

Think about all the times you've been hurt or wronged by someone. You feel that pain as deeply as the love you have for them. If you didn't love them as much, the pain would be felt on an equal scale and would, in turn, hurt less as well.

For example, if a co-worker you barely know has a birthday party and doesn't invite you, you're not devastated over it because even though it might sting a little, you don't care that deeply about them because you don't know them very well.

Now, the reverse side of that would be to imagine if your best friend had a birthday party and didn't invite you. You would be so hurt because you love this person so deeply (at least I would hope so if they're your best friend) and they wronged you.

Now, let's think about why we've felt wronged by others. Or, perhaps, even why our past loves have been soiled.

Was it due to jealousy or lack of trust?

Was it because we couldn't control our tempers?

Was it because we felt we were too superior, or even too inferior, for our partners?

Did we hold too much against one another, things beyond our control?

The hard truth is that all failed love has probably been the manipulation, or complete lack thereof, one of the necessary characteristics shown in 1 Corinthians 13.

No true love will ever fail if it is built firmly and wholly on the foundation Jesus has laid out for us.

It isn't easy. We are not perfect lovers, we're not even close. We won't always get it right, and that's OK! We have already been forgiven for all of our shortcomings, we just have to acknowledge them and ask forgiveness... then, we have to forgive ourselves, too.

It's all an endless cycle of grace & mercy. His love never fails, it doesn't end, and it will never leave us. Once we live in that truth, we too can experience the brutal beauty of real, true love.