Love

Almost every conversation in my family ends with “Love You”

Love You, Grammie.
Love You Baby.
Love You Mom.
Love You Sweetie.

And we do love one another.

Storge (pronounced /ˈstɔrdʒiː/; στοργή, storgē), also called familial love, is the Greek word for natural affection—such as the love of a parent toward a child, "cherishing one's kindred, especially parents or children". In social psychology, storge is the form of love between friends.
Storge may be used as a general term to describe the love between exceptional friends, and the desire for them to care compassionately for one another http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storge

I truly love my church family. I thank God on a daily basis for planting me in a church where the Great Commission is taken seriously, a church where there is loving work to be done. This is “exceptional love”. This is storge.


Philia (φιλία) as an ancient Greek word for love refers to brotherly love, including friendship and affection.
http://www.twopaths.com/faq_love.htm

We all know a little about eros, but since this is not a love described in scripture, it’s not described here.

The Greek word that refers to the love of God, one of the kinds of love we are to have for people, is agape. Agape is the very nature of God, for God is love (1 John 4:7-12, 16b).

The big key to understanding agape is to realize that it can be known from the action it prompts. In fact, we sometimes speak of the “action model” of agape love.

People today are accustomed to thinking of love as a feeling, but that is not necessarily the case with agape love. Agape is love because of what it does, not because of how it feels.
God so “loved” (agape) that He gave His Son. It did not feel good to God to do that, but it was the loving thing to do. Christ so loved (agape) that he gave his life. He did not want to die, but he loved, so he did what God required.
http://www.truthortradition.com/modules.php?file=article&name=News&sid=743.

After I read this passage I was encouraged to look again at John 21:15-17

Jesus: “Simon, son of John, do you love (agapas) me more than these?”
Peter: “Yes, Lord, You know (oidas) that I love (philo) You.”
Jesus: “Simon, son of John, do you love (agapas) me?”
Peter: “Yes, Lord, You know (oidas) that I love (philo) You.”
Jesus: “Simon, son of John, do you love (phileis) me?”
Peter: “Lord, You know (oidas) everything; You know (ginoskeis) that I love (philo) You.”

As a Works based church, a church that believes we are to be in the business of DOING the Word of God, not just talking about it, the focus had always been on the action in this scripture of “feed my sheep” (not included here).

This is still a very important part of that scripture, but, my focus this morning is on the depth of love that Christ was declaring to Peter and the caution in Peter's response.

I pray, now, for a better understandng of God’s Word. I pray that my love of God will be manifest in what I am willing to do. I pray now that I can truly experience agape love.

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!