The definition of love

Love is a many-splendored thing.  Love lifts us where we belong.  All you need is love.  Love will find a way.  Love is a battlefield.

Just surveying popular music over the past few decades and you'll see quite a diverse definition of love.  If we sampled movies, we'd have just a diverse a definition.

For some, love is about conquest - claiming that person as your prize.  For others, it's about connection - finding someone with whom you can spend all your time.  For yet others, it's about compansionship - someone you can share your life and moments with as you grow older.

The problem is we have a lot of definitions about love.  One issue that crops up is the English language.  We have one word for love.  We love God, our car, our house, our spouse, our friends, our moms and our favorite sports teams.  Love, love, love, love, love.

The Greek language had four major words for love:  Stergo, which connated love for parents and children; Phileo, which would be love from friends of siblings; Eros, which we would define as romantic love (we get the English word errotic from Eros); and Agape, which is unconditional love. 

So, our English word "love" is all inclusive.  In some respects, it makes all love equal.  You and I, of course, know that is not the case.  I love my wife differently than I love my favorite sports teams.  (And yes, I do.)

In 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter of the Bible, we see Paul writing about Agape or unconditional love.  This is the love God has for us and the love he expects us to have for one another.  He defines it as patient, kind, not envious, not boasting, not proud or rude or self-seeking, not easily angered, not keeping records of right and wrong or delighting in evil, being truthful, protecting, trusting, hoping and having perseverance.  This is the type of love Christ has for us.  It's the type of love he expects us to share.

That's not always easy to do.  Some people are mean.  Some don't like us.  So how do you love when it's tough?  You rely upon Jesus.  Sometimes he has to love people for you.  If he indwells in you, that should be enough to love others too.

Love others.  Love them well.  Love them like Jesus.

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