Proverbs 17:17 - "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."
What does it mean to love at all times? Solomon is not speaking of sentimental emotion, although that can sometimes be part of true friendship love. If we need a definition, love has no better definition in scripture than in the thirteenth chapter of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. Here we find that "love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." (I Corinthians 13:4-7) In a nutshell, love does nothing from self-interest but in the interest of others.
The consistency of loving as "at all times" is only possible through Jesus Christ. Perfect love was never meant to be the heritage of mankind outside of God living within. It is an impossibility to achieve oneness with love outside of this relationship. Other religions can believe they are loving and sympathetic to their fellow man. The capacity to love will always be limited or unlimited through seeking to love from ourselves or through Jesus Christ, respectively.
God is love, beloved. However, mankind's love will only imitate the divine. Once God has a man or woman's heart, then He can love constantly and continually through their broken and surrendered lives.
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