“Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:37-39)
What would we do without the word “love” (in our vocabulary and culture)?
Our music (country and other kinds) is filled with this word. What would Valentine’s Day be without expressions of love? How about poems, personal notes, etc. without this simple little word?
In our English usage love often is misconstrued to mean a mushy-gushy, syrupy expression for a fuzzy feeling or emotion. But did you know that the Greeks had 4 usages of this word? The 1st word they used was eros, a FOUNDATIONAL kind of love – – very basic and often crude! The 2nd kind was called storgey, a FAMILY kind of love. But only the next 2 kinds are found in the New Testament: one of which is phileo, signifying the love of FRIENDSHIP – – a warm kind of love for a friend. But the predominant word for love in the New Testament is agapey (used some 250+ times)! It is a FINAL kind of love. Here are some identifiers of it: It is active, giving, impartial, need-oriented, premeditated, sacrificial, selfless, and voluntary.
Do these expressions characterize your lifestyle?? Do you love God? Do you really? (Matthew tells us that God commands it)! Do you love your neighbor (as it is assumed that you already love yourself)? Have you ever given thought to how much God loves mankind (John 3:16)?! Just asking.
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