LOVE: A Valentine Blog

In Hebrew and Greek, the languages the Bible was originally written in, there are many different words used for LOVE. These words express everything from sexual desire to intimate friendships. Often all those words for LOVE are narrowed down to three: EROS, romantic, passionate LOVE; PHILEO, the LOVE of great friends and siblings; AGAPE, parental, self-sacrificing LOVE that seeks the welfare of others.

All of these LOVEs were created by God and should be present in our lives in the proper circumstances.

EROS is necessary and appropriate within the security of marriage. It is a special LOVE reserved for marriage and the one you have committed the rest of your life to. If this LOVE is shared with anyone other than your spouse, you have misused it and will inevitably have to bear the consequence of that. The Song of Songs is a book of the Bible often skipped over but it is a good resource that shows us how EROS can benefit our marriages.

PHILEO, is also found in marriage and is the LOVE that binds friendships and is committed to others. This LOVE can manifest itself in powerful emotions, both positive and negative.  It is a LOVE that is easily hurt if it is not returned in the way we need it to be returned. However, it can also be a powerful motivation to stand by a good friend or family member going through a hard time. It is not unusual for this LOVE to change, grow weaker or stronger over time, whether minutes or years. This shows us that LOVE is not simple, but powerful and often difficult and complicated.

AGAPE is basically Christian LOVE. It is a self-sacrificing LOVE and is pictured in God's LOVE for the world through Christ. I Corinthians 13 speaks of this LOVE and it should be evident in all our relationships even those with complete strangers. It is putting someone else's good before your own. I was once challenged to use the above passage in Corinthians to guide me in a relationship I was struggling with. It made me aware of my wrong attitudes and selfishness and led me to concentrate less on my own wants and perceived needs and more on those of the other person. The amazing thing is when we try to meet the needs of another, God shows us He can also meet our needs or make us realize our needs weren't as important as we thought they were.

God has placed people in our lives to enrich us. Relationships are important and worth working at. How can we enrich another person's life with our LOVE for them?