“Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
There are many types of love, but the most important is selfless, giving love (Agape). That’s the love that keeps marriages vibrant and lasting. It’s the love that everyone needs to feel appreciated and cared for. Share agape love today with your spouse. Be loving, tender, patient, gentle and selfless.
I pray that everyone has a happy and blessed Valentine’s Day and that those in a Christian marriage get an extra blessing from God today.
AGAPE: This Greek word for love is by far the one that appears most frequently in the New Testament. It is, “…generally assumed to mean moral goodwill which proceeds from esteem, principle, or duty, rather than attraction or charm… [it] means to love the undeserving, despite disappointment and rejection…Though agape has more to do with moral principle than with inclination or liking, it never means the cold religious kindness shown from duty alone, as scriptural examples abundantly prove” (Elwell, p. 1357). EROS: this Greek word was not used in the New Testament. It refers to sexual love and probably derived its name from the mythical god of love.
STORGE: This is the type of love signifying the natural affection between kinfolk. This word appears only occasionally in the New Testament and only in compound form.
PHILEO: This Greek word for love signifies, “…spontaneous natural affection, with more feeling than reason” (Elwell, p. 1357). Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance defines phileo as, “to be a friend to…fond of an individual or object; having affection for (as denoting attachment); a matter of sentiment or feeling”.
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible. Walter A. Elwell, ed. Baker Book House, 1988.