In our world today, everyone uses the word love, even when they don’t understand what love is. For example, we see two women having sexual relations with one another, some going to the extent of even getting married under the name of love. That isn’t love; it is an abuse or misrepresentation of love. A man bruises and batters your face on a regular basis and you say he loves you, he just has a problem expressing his emotions. The further away we are from God, the easier it is to abuse, misunderstand and misrepresent love. We can’t experience and understand true love outside God.

Here are 7 truths about love every woman should know:

1. God is the source, origin, beginning and center of love. Love begins with God, grows with God, is sustained by God.  (I John 4:7_8). To know love, have love, give love, God must be brought into the picture; God must take His rightful place in our lives.

2. God is full of love. His love is not bound or limited by 1, 2 or 5 love languages. He doesn’t wait for special occasions like Valentine’s Day, Birthdays and anniversaries to show us how much He loves us. Every new day, every morning, we see boundless expressions of God’s love (Psalm 86:15, Lamentations 3:22-23).

3. There is so much hope in the love of God. Hope that all things will work out for our good. Hope that God will not abandon us, walk away from us, leave us stranded and helpless. Hope that God will not disappoint us or put us to shame. God’s love has a soothing and calming effect on our hearts in times of trouble (Romans 5:5, Romans 8:28, Zephaniah 3:17).

4. God’s love isn’t fickle. Here today, gone tomorrow. Hot when people say and do nice things to Him, cold when people are unfaithful to Him or unappreciative of His love. God’s love doesn’t change suddenly, though times, people and situations may change. His love is stable and constant. His love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:13, Isaiah 54:10).

5. God’s love is unconditional and unbeatable. In our most unlovable state, when we didn’t deserve to be shown any kind of love, Jesus died for us. God shows us love, when there’s no basis for us to be loved (1 John 4:9-10, Romans 5:8). God loves and accepts us irrespective of where we are coming from, how far we have gone in life, or the distance we are yet to cover. When Jesus met Mary Magdalene, she wasn’t in a good state. Seven demons were inside her. Unlike the Pharisee in Luke 7:36-50, who saw the sinful woman as thrash, as someone too messed up for him to have anything to do with, Jesus loved her in her most unlovable state. Spurred by love, Jesus reached out to Mary Magdalene and cast out those seven wicked demons from her (Luke 8:2). Jesus didn’t wait until Mary Magdalene was prim and proper before He came near to her and accepted her. Jesus showed her unconditional love, even when there was nothing in her or about her to love.

6. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. No failure on our part, no trouble, tragedy or calamity, no force and power of darkness can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39). Have you just lost someone dear to you? Are you going through some hard financial times? Is there so much trouble in your home that it looks like your marriage is on the verge of a divorce? Have you prayed for God to save and change your child and it’s like the more you pray, the more wayward your child is? Are you wondering, if God really loves you, why has he kept you single all these years, why isn’t He doing anything about your marital life? Or have you been involved in an adulterous relationship, told some unimaginable lies, engaged in illegal deals to make more money? Have you strayed away from God and you feel God is mad at you and won’t ever answer your prayers? There is nothing we can do, nothing anyone can do to us, that can separate us from the love of God. God won’t stop loving us, the devil won’t stop telling us lies to make us believe God doesn’t love us. Don’t give in to the lies of the devil. Receive and embrace God’s love, so you experience forgiveness, healing, peace and joy.

7. God’s love should never be ignored, treated lightly or taken for granted. God’s love for us is so real and deep. God is the only One that has the time and patience to count every strand of hair on our heads (Luke 12:7). That’s how much God values us. We should be eternally grateful for God’s love; thank Him for His love, celebrate and testify of His love (1 Chronicles 16:34, Psalm 107:8-9).

Tesh Njokanma is a lawyer by training whose heart is in writing. She is a prolific writer with over 15 years experience as a Magazine Editor. She is a pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God with a prayer and teaching ministry. Tesh is married with children. She is based in Lagos, Nigeria