WHAT IS LOVE? - Part 2

                                                       

Today I am continuing my blog entitled “What is love? – Part 2”.  This week we are still looking at the question “What is love?”  Last week I introduced four Greek words to you that define love to us which are philia, storge, eros, and agape. Today we want to look at the way we experience love through these Greek words in our relationships such as friendships, family, dating and marriage. 

·         Friendships.  Philia is the Greek word that describes the love that is shared between friends.  In order to have a friendship with someone, we must connect with them, and that usually happens because we share something in common.  A friendship between people should be built on an unselfish love.  This is demonstrated by our actions in a give and take relationship with one another.  As we take time to connect with our friends, and get to know them, we are able to build a friendship.  There is a saying “You don’t get to choose your family, but you do get to choose your friends, so choose wisely.”

·         Family relationships.  The love that exists among family members is described by the Greek word “storge”.  The word storge means a natural affection of love that you share with your family.   Storge is the love that bonds a family together relationally.  This bond doesn’t just happen automatically, but it is caused by a family working hard to spend time together to connect with one another, in order to build a close knit family.  As married couples we must practice and model connecting with each other first in the home, so our children can get a picture of what a close knit family can look like for them.  Problems and conflicts will come to disrupt your relationship, but a storge kind of love that is shared among a family can keep it together.

·         Dating and marriage relationships.  The reason why I put dating and marriage relationship together is, usually because we tend to marry the person we are seeing in our dating relationship.  The Greek word “eros” means sexually and erotic desire kind of love (positive or negative).  In other words we experience eros love by our passionate feelings that we have for someone.  Those desires ultimately are expressed through sexual intercourse with them.  Today many dating couples base their relationship on eros love because the focus is on sex.  I believe God created marriage, and designed sex to be practiced unselfishly between married couples, in order for them to share their love together physically and emotionally.   When sex is taken out of the context of marriage, it can be misused selfishly to manipulate people we are dating and hurt them emotionally, causing broken lives.  For married couples eros love can be used in a positively to build our marriage up, and to cause us to enjoy our spouse in a physical way through sex.    

·         The last Greek word that impacts all three relationships is “agape”.  Agape means unconditional love with no strings attached or divine love.  Agape is a divine love that comes from God.  It can only be received by us when we come into a relationship with God.  Last week we looked at 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 to see what the Bible had to say about love.  The word for “love” in this chapter is “agape”.  Our natural love is selfish and will fade away with people, but God’s love will never run out or give up on people.  Agape will continue to love a family member that we have a conflict with, it won’t allow an incident to sever a close friendship with a friend, and it won’t allow us to manipulate our spouse by misusing sex to get our way.  Agape is unconditional love.     

No matter what kind of relationship we have, in order to stay connected, it must be based on the Greek word “agape”, unconditional love with others.  If our relationships aren’t based on “agape” unconditional love, then it will be based our feelings and conditions we will place on someone such as our spouse, friends, or others.  Our actions won’t be out of love, but, purely motivated out of selfishness and convenience.  What is love?  Love is “agape” which means to love all those in your relationships unconditionally with no strings attached.     

Would love to hear your thoughts, questions, or feedback.