Everywhere you turn in our world, you are inundated with love. Every television show seems to revolve around some couple falling in love or being in love. Hallmark cards, Valentine gifts, even dating services all promote the ideal of love and romance.

Love and romance are real things that motivate people in many ways. Some give up jobs, others income, others family, all in order to be with the one they love. Love is a powerful, driving force in many if not most lives. Sadly, love is often corrupted by our culture. It is turned into mere lust, or into trivial passions that come and go.

The Bible speaks of romantic love. But, in telling us about love, the Word reminds that real love has qualities unlike the passing fancy of the world. Real love is powerful and life changing. Let's look at a man named Jacob and his love for a young woman named Rachel. Jacob had left his parents' home due to his deceitfulness toward his father and brother. He has journeyed a long way to find relatives in a distant land. He arrives at a well, helps a young woman water her flock, and discovers she is a member of his distant clan. He goes home with the young lady and meets her father, a man named Laban. "And Laban said to him, 'Surely you are my bone and my flesh.' And he stayed with him a month. Then Laban said to Jacob, 'Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?' Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. And Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful of form and face. Now Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, 'I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.' And Laban said, 'It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man; stay with me.' So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her" (Gen. 29:14-20). Jacob quickly fell head over heels in love with Rachel. He loved her so much, he worked seven years for her hand, and it seemed like only a few days to him. Seven years is a long time for anyone, but when you are in love, it is a simple thing to wait and to serve in order to fulfill your love. This story tells us about genuine love and its characteristics.

Love Is Seeking: -- The story begins with Jacob seeking his relatives in a distant country (Gen. 29:1). When he arrives he goes to the well, knowing his relatives are herders, they would bring the animals to water at the start and close of each day. Sure enough, he finds people at the well, and, in time, meets his distant relative, Rachel.

Jacob found this young woman, and experienced great love, only because he was looking for his people and a relationship with them. I don't know that he planned to fall in love like he did. But I do know that the first quality of love is that it seeks relationship with others.

This is certainly a characteristic of God's love for us. "By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 Jno. 4:9-11). We didn't love God, that is, we weren't seeking Him. He loved us and came after us in the form of His only Son. God did this only because He loved us so much. Genuine love, like God's, is always characterized by a desire to be with others. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life" (Jno. 3:16).

Love Is Persistent: -- Jacob loved Rachel. So, he offered to work seven years to get her. It wasn't hard for him, he loved her that much. And, through all of that he never gave up. He kept working for no wages (except room and board) in order to be with the one he loved. He was stubborn and persistent, because he loved her that much.

And, he would be tested in his persistence. "Then Jacob said to Laban, 'Give me my wife, for my time is completed, that I may go in to her.' And Laban gathered all the men of the place, and made a feast. Now it came about in the evening that he took his daughter Leah, and brought her to him; and Jacob went in to her. So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, 'What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you deceived me?' But Laban said, 'It is not the practice in our place, to marry off the younger before the first-born. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you shall serve with me for another seven years.' And Jacob did so and completed her week, and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife" (Gen. 29:21-23, 25-28). Laban deceives his son- in-law, sending in the wrong daughter. What does love do in that case?

Well, Jacob just rolled up his sleeves and worked another seven years. He got a wife he didn't want. But, he finally got the love of his life that he did want. His love was so persistent that he would not give up even after being horribly deceived by his father-in-law.

God's love is like that as well. He won't give up. When the prodigal son returned home, the father was watching for him, kissed him and restored him to full sonship with clothes, rings and rights (Lk. 15:20-22). God won't give up on us. He won't give up on you. God loves you so much that if you will just turn toward Him, He will run to greet you and love you as a son.

Love Is Powerful: -- Jacob's love for Rachel was so intense, that seven years of labor seemed easy. Even after being deceived, another seven years seemed okay as well. She must have been some young lady, but, more so, he must have been deeply in love with her.

The fact is, when you love like this, all the costs, the labor, the sweat, the tears are worth it. Deep, genuine love makes the hardest tasks seem light and easy. Love like this doesn't worry about the price, it just does what is needed. That is why Jno. 3:16 is so wonderful. God loved us so much He gave His only begotten Son. And when we learn to love as He does, our lives will be energized as well.