Would you agree that the word LOVE is probably the most watered down word in the English language? Yeah, me too! I know personally as a girl who loves to show her affection to others, I have definitely worn this word out!
So, what does it really mean… LOVE? You could sum up Webster’s definition by simply defining it as a feeling. Ask a hundred or more individuals and you are likely to get that many responses. We have not only allowed this word to become watered down but to also represent a multitude of things. I could fill up this post on the worldly aspects of love and how I feel it’s true meaning has been stolen, but instead, I want us to focus our attention on its true origin… God.
The Bible tells us that love comes from God. Actually, the Bible says “God is love”. Love is the very essence of God and since we have been created in the image of God, we have been given the ability to love. As followers of Christ, our lives are to represent God’s love. Jesus tell us that only two commands are needed to govern our lives: love God and love neighbor! The Bible says that if we will obey this command and demonstrate such a love in our lives, all the law and prophets are fulfilled.
In the NIV you will find the word LOVE mentioned over 500 times. But, squashed into that one word you will find 4 different Greek words that might help us with our aim and focus.
Storge is a natural affection towards another, most often found in family. Think husband and wife, mother and child… You know? Noah and his family.
Philia is a companionable love, one found in friendship, brotherly love. A great example of this would be Jesus bond with Lazarus.
Eros is a romantic love filled with passion. AKA, Solomon.
Agape is divine love which can be characterized by its sacrificial act to love for the good of the other. This is God’s love towards man and our reflection of this perfect love.
Each day during the month, we will read through scripture that represents the different types of love represented throughout the Bible. My hope is that the more we focus on God’s LOVE in scripture, the more it will be reflected in our own lives.
Can you imagine a world where those that claimed Christ clearly and vividly reflected God’s love? Begin this study by meditating on the TRUTH that we have been created in His own image.
xo,
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