What is love and how should we love one another?
The dictionary defines love as: An intense emotion of affection and concern toward another person, or thing as that developed from kinship or close friendship. A feeling of devotion or adoration toward God.
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
There are many forms of love:
Storge or (Familiar Love) – a natural form of affection that often flows between parents and their children, and children for their parents
Eros or (Erotic Love) – a passionate and intense form of love that arouses romantic and sexual feelings.
Philia or (Affectionate Love) – a type of love that is felt among friends who’ve endured hard times together. “Brotherly love”
Agape or (Unselfish Love) – to love everyone, “the highest form of love, charity” and “the love of God
Pragma or (Enduring Love) – a love that has aged, matured and developed over time. It is beyond the physical, it has transcended the casual, and it is a unique harmony that has formed over time
The truth of the matter is in today’s society too often many of us love one another with conditional love; if you do for me, I will do for you or the selfishness that wants pleasure, fame, and wealth beyond what one needs.
But true love, agape love is patient and kind, not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 1 Cor.13:4-7
Just as John wrote in 1 John 1:4 – We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy. I am writing this because as we see and hear the rhetoric on TV, our jobs, the grocery stores, and sadly but true in church, we must be aware that the end of all things is near. Therefore we must be alert and of sober minds and pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:7-8
So dearly beloved if we want to see the things we have been praying for manifested in our lives we must release our faith and love as Christ loved the church and gave His life for us. We must simply love each other because he loved us first. If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their brothers and sisters. 1 John 4:19-21
So as you can now see, we don’t have to figure out how to love one another God has already provided us with the blueprint on love. So stick to the plan and love each other beyond reason, just as God loves us.
There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13
~ Bro. David Caldwell
