February 14, 2013

love day



let us love{agapeo} one another  I John 4:7



In Precepts, this week, we learned some of the different Greek words for love.

Eros
- love of passion, based on body chemistry, and depends on being attractive to another person.
- is selfish. "I love you because you make me happy"
-looks for what it can get, and only gives in order to receive.
-very conditional.

Phileo
-brotherly/sisterly love. the kind of love most people have for friends.
-responds to kindness and appreciation. it involves giving as well as receiving, but when greatly strained it can collapse in a crisis.
-higher level of love than eros, because it is OUR happiness rather than MY happiness.

Agape
-this love keeps on loving even when the loved one is unresponsive, unkind, unlovable, and unworthy
-is unconditional love... the most noble form and originates in God.
-desires only the good of the one loved; consuming passion for the well-being of others.
- used 329 times in bible...and not really found that much outside the bible.

In I John, we are called to agape love each other. This is the kind of love God has for us.

Uhhhh.

I actually kinda choked a little when I read the definition of agape love:
Keeps on loving even when the loved one is unresponsive, unkind, unlovable. 

Have you ever been in a situation where you really tried to love someone and they were unresponsive?

I have. It totally makes me want to give up. But I am instructed to keep on loving.

I don't know about you, but I fail in this department. It comes natural to love our children with agape love...that unconditional love...but it seems so much harder to use agape love on other people.

Quite honestly, I think I fall into the category of phileo love with my friends, more often than not.

That is sad. I feel convicted.

And the only way it is even remotely possible to agape love those who hurt us, is to tap into God's overflowing source of agape love. To love others with His love.

Just yesterday I got to practice this. A person kinda hurt my feelings a little(please don't alert the presses, it was really no big deal). And I get to choose whether to keep loving with agape love...or to let the friendship collapse under great strain with phileo love. Love is a choice. Not a feeling. And so I am asking God to help me love this person with His agape love.

On a lighter note, I am excited about my new metal print!

When I first saw these metal prints, I called my little sister Lindsay and suggested she get some. She was my guinea pig, so to speak.

She ordered some and we both liked them so much, that I finally ordered one too! Thanks Lin!


I was also inspired by sister Lindsay to buy these metal shelves. My little pot needs a cactus.


And sweet Loriloo made these cute little wooden people for me as a gift.

Happy Valentines Day! Now go love someone agape style!

12 comments:

  1. Agape love is SOOOOO hard to do! I need to be constantly reminded to live it out. :) Thanks for the reminder!

    adorable metal print! :D

    ReplyDelete
  2. wow Metal prints! How different! I'm going to look into gettin' a few myself I think. Love this post on love ;) seriously tho, you're so right.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Metal prints is so crazy cool! Love it. Also really enjoyed the explanation of loves and their meanings... beautiful way to put the truth.

    ReplyDelete
  4. agape love is hecka hard. DOH. guilty. but loved reading all the definitions.
    also, lovin' the metal :) super cute!

    ReplyDelete
  5. EEEEEEEEEP!!!! Lori made you model A and model B clothespins!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I can't read that John quote without hearing the liturgy in my head, "Let us love one another, so that we may with one mind confess Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Trinity: One in essence and undivided." The book I was reading recently that was trying to walk American Christians through the liturgy said, "Note the words ‘so that we may confess.’ The service rightly underscores that only those who love in the likeness of God can confess the Truth about God." Kind of like the parable of the wicked servant. Deep, hard stuff, right?

    ReplyDelete
  7. agape love... hard. very hard.
    i am selfish.
    this is hard for me.
    thanks for the reminder that we can only do it with God.
    xo

    man, those little wooden people... adorbs!!!!
    maybe i can get lori to make me some too!!
    eeeep!
    (SOOO weird that i know her now... what a small world, huh?!)

    ReplyDelete
  8. you should check out C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves. Of course, he wrote it before he was married his discussion of Eros is not as excellent, but the rest of the book is fantastic. I'm so humbled and challenged when I consider God's love for me...and my pitiful attempts to love the people around me. Even the most important people. Thankfully, grace abounds.

    ReplyDelete
  9. i LOVE your metal print! So much fun!

    when i struggle with agape love (which is every 5 seconds it sometimes feels like...) i have to stop and remind myself of all the people that continue to love me even when i'm horrible and nasty and moody and cranky. not just jesus, but REAL people who are just as much of a sinner as i am. its so hard to admit that i have been hard to love sometimes, but people have kept right on loving me. its humbling and helps bring back perspective to what true agape love looks like day-to-day in my own life. i still struggle with it 99.9% of the time. but i'm working on it. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Love that your pegs have accessories-perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  11. yes and amen! i remeber learning about these types of love in youth... thanks for the incite! : )

    ReplyDelete