Quick question: How would you define the word love? Not an easy one to answer, huh? Actually, we can find a pretty good definition from the Bible in 1 Corinthians 13—love is patient, love is kind and so on. But it can be hard to figure out what that looks like in real life. That's where movies come in. Now, I know you're probably thinking that Hollywood's view of "true love" is nothing but one-night stands, mushy dialogue and old Julia Roberts flicks. In many ways, you're right. But under that superficial layer, some movies also have very practical (and biblical) things to say about the kind of love that goes far beyond romance. Here are five.

Love is humble
"Love is patient, love is kind. … It does not boast, it is not proud" (1 Corinthians 13:4, NIV).

At the beginning of The Princess Bride, the narrator introduces us to Buttercup and Westley. Westley works for Buttercup's family, which means she gets to order him around.

"Farm Boy, polish my horse's saddle," she tells him. "Farm Boy, fetch me that pitcher." Westley doesn't grovel or bow when she gives him these commands. He doesn't complain, either. He just looks her in the eye and says, "As you wish."

Then the narrator gives us this little tidbit: "One day, she was amazed to discover that when he was saying, 'As you wish,' what he really meant was, 'I love you.'" That may sound like a strange way for someone to express romantic feelings, but it's important to realize that true love goes beyond romance. It includes deeper things—like humility. By humbly serving this woman, Westley was putting love into action. Inconceivable!

By the way, don't confuse being humble with being a pushover. When the Bible talks about humility, or meekness, it's referring to "strength under control." Think of a sleek, muscular horse who submits all of his power and speed to the will of his rider. That's humility, and that's an important piece of true love.

Love wants what's best for others
"It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered" (1 Corinthians 13:5, NIV).

In John 15:13, Jesus says, "The greatest way to show love for friends is to die for them" (CEV). Now, I don't know about you, but I don't get a lot of opportunities to die for people. But that doesn't mean you can't show the kind of love Jesus is talking about.

Instead, this simply means to die to yourself for them—to put their needs in front of yours. It means making a decision not to be self-seeking.

In Enchanted, for example, Prince Edward tracks his bride-to-be, Giselle, across two worlds, only to see her poisoned by his wicked stepmother. He only knows one way to save her: with true love's first kiss. After all, the movie says it's "the most powerful thing in the world." But it doesn't work for Edward.

That's when Prince Edward looks over at Robert, a kind and handsome man who cared for Giselle until the prince arrived to rescue her. In that instant, Edward understands that Robert is Giselle's true love—not him. Without any hesitation, he moves aside and begs Robert to come and kiss Giselle. That's sacrifice, right? He gives up his chance at romance and happiness to ensure the life and happiness of the woman he loves.

And he goes even further than that. When the kiss works and Giselle wakes up, the prince doesn't spout off a lot of rude things about how unfair the situation is or what kind of girl Giselle must be. He doesn't even get angry at Robert for butting in. He responds with true, unselfish love.

Love forgives
"It keeps no record of wrongs" (1 Corinthians 13:5, NIV).

It's tough to admit when you've done something wrong or stupid. But sometimes it's even harder to hear another person confess what they've done—and then forgive them for it. That's the situation in Juno when 16-year-old Juno MacGuff admits to her dad and step-mom that she's pregnant.

The conversation goes well enough at first—neither of the adults screams or throws anything. But as the reality of his daughter's action sets in, Juno's dad becomes really disappointed. "Boy, I thought you were the kind of girl who knew when to say when," he tells her. When she answers, "I don't really know what kind of girl I am," he doesn't say anything back. He just stares her down, shakes his head, and looks away until she leaves the room. Later, when Mr. MacGuff takes Juno to visit the couple who want to adopt her baby, he says, "Thanks for having me and my irresponsible child over to your house."

Obviously, he's upset. But at the end of the movie—when Juno starts to lose faith in the power of love—her dad shows his true feelings. "In my opinion," he tells her, "the best thing you can do is find somebody who loves you for exactly what you are. Good mood, bad mood. Ugly, pretty … that's the kind of person worth sticking with."

Juno answers, "Yeah, I think I've found that person," meaning her friend Paulie. But her dad surprises her by saying, "Sure you have—your dear old D-A-D. You know I'll always be there to love you and support you, no matter what kind of pickle you're in." And that's what the Bible means when it says that true love "keeps no record of wrongs." It doesn't mean that we erase all memory of a person's mistakes. It means we don't let those mistakes change how we feel about the people we truly love.

By the way, I've found that most parents possess a great deal of this kind of love when it comes to their kids. It might be buried deep down, but it's there. So when you find yourself in a tough spot, or if you're in a tough spot right now, talk with your folks. I think you'll be surprised at the depth of their forgiving love. And that's a good model for how you can react to others.

Love focuses on what's good
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth (1 Corinthians 13:6, NIV).

My favorite moment from Napoleon Dynamite is probably the scene where Deb calls Napoleon to confront him because his Uncle Rico outright lied to her. Uncle Rico told her Napoleon wanted her to purchase some "Bust Must +." She says, "I'm calling to let you know that I think you're a shallow friend."

"What the heck are you even talking about?" Napoleon answers, unaware of his uncle's schemes. Then Deb really lets him have it: "Don't worry, Napoleon. Your Uncle Rico made it very clear how you feel about me. I don't need herbal enhancers to feel good about myself. And if you're so concerned about that, why don't you try eating some yourself?" Go, Deb!

When somebody hurts or betrays us, it's very easy to feel justified to give it right back to them. We might call them a few names or gossip about them. We know these actions aren't right—but, after all, they hurt us first.

That's why I think Deb's conversation with Napoleon is a great example of handling hurt in a very loving way. She states her beliefs and doesn't back down. She deals only in what she thinks are the facts. But where her loving attitude really shines through is in the things she doesn't do. She doesn't call Napoleon a pervert, for example. She doesn't get revenge by egging his house or throwing tomatoes during his big dance scene. She doesn't even break off their friendship. In other words, Deb doesn't delight in evil. She speaks in love. And as 1 Corinthians 13:1 says, no matter what one says, if it is said without love, it's just "a resounding gong" (NIV).

Love is tough as nails
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:7-8, NIV).

Real love isn't about little pink hearts or soft, syrupy sonnets. Real love is solid and strong and courageous. Just think of all the heroes who risked everything for the people they loved—Samwise Gamgee, Lilly Potter and General Maximus are great examples. And so is Marlin the Clownfish from Finding Nemo. That's right.

Marlin the Clownfish. Marlin doesn't start out very heroic, though. At the beginning of the movie, he's just an overprotective father who gets nervous even "walking" his kid to school. Even worse, he's not funny, despite being a clownfish. But things change when his son, Nemo, gets scooped up and taken away by a human diver. Without any hesitation, Marlin charges through hundreds of miles of ocean to save his boy, all the while conquering sharks, mines, a swarm of jellyfish—and a dentist.

That's the kind of love that gave Jesus the power to absorb the sin of every human being that's ever lived, even while he was dying on the cross. That's the kind of love that fueled Jesus' disciples to sacrifice their own lives in order to establish the church and give all of humanity a chance to re-connect with God. And that's the kind of love that can help you make your own sacrifice—to lay down control of your life and jump head-first into whatever task God has been preparing you for.

I can't think of a better definition of love than that.

Read more from 'Faith & Values'

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