I'm so excited to beginning this four part series with you today!
I think of February as the ♥Love♥ month.
Don't you? Good!
If you get my newsletter, then you know my theme for this month is
Love & Relationships.
I thought I'd start the series by talking about the first and for me, the most important of the four types of love from C.S Lewis' book The Four Loves
The Greek language distinguishes at least four different ways as to how the word love is used. Ancient Greek has four distinct words for love: agápe, éros, philía, and storgē. However, as with other languages, it has been historically difficult to separate the meanings of these words when used outside of their respective contexts. Nonetheless, the senses in which these words were generally used are as follows:
· Agápe (ἀγάπη agápē[1]) means "love: esp. brotherly love, charity; the love of God for man and of man for God."[2]Agape is used in the biblical passage known as the "love chapter," 1 Corinthians 13, and is described there and throughout the New Testament as brotherly love, affection, good will, love, and benevolence.[3] Whether the love given is returned or not, the person continues to love (even without any self-benefit). Agape is also used in ancient texts to denote feelings for one's children and the feelings for a spouse, and it was also used to refer to a love feast.[3] It can also be described as the feeling of being content or holding one in high regard. Agape is used by Christians to express the unconditional love of God for his children. This type of love was further explained by Thomas Aquinas as "to will the good of another."[4] (Lewis, C.S., 1960, The Four Loves; emphasis my own)
For me, the most important love AND relationship is my relationship with GOD.
A relationship with God has a kind of love we humans struggle with... that of unconditional love...♥AGAPE♥
I don't know about you, but I can get so tired of trying to earn peoples love and approval.
I can never DO enough. They always expect more.
The good news is...
God has agape love for us and we don't even have to DO anything.
We can simply be a human-BEing and not have to be a human-DOing.
I don't have to earn God's love.
You don't have to earn God's love.
He gives it to us freely.
We are His sheep and know His voice.
I think of February as the ♥Love♥ month.
Don't you? Good!
If you get my newsletter, then you know my theme for this month is
Love & Relationships.
I thought I'd start the series by talking about the first and for me, the most important of the four types of love from C.S Lewis' book The Four Loves
The Greek language distinguishes at least four different ways as to how the word love is used. Ancient Greek has four distinct words for love: agápe, éros, philía, and storgē. However, as with other languages, it has been historically difficult to separate the meanings of these words when used outside of their respective contexts. Nonetheless, the senses in which these words were generally used are as follows:
· Agápe (ἀγάπη agápē[1]) means "love: esp. brotherly love, charity; the love of God for man and of man for God."[2]Agape is used in the biblical passage known as the "love chapter," 1 Corinthians 13, and is described there and throughout the New Testament as brotherly love, affection, good will, love, and benevolence.[3] Whether the love given is returned or not, the person continues to love (even without any self-benefit). Agape is also used in ancient texts to denote feelings for one's children and the feelings for a spouse, and it was also used to refer to a love feast.[3] It can also be described as the feeling of being content or holding one in high regard. Agape is used by Christians to express the unconditional love of God for his children. This type of love was further explained by Thomas Aquinas as "to will the good of another."[4] (Lewis, C.S., 1960, The Four Loves; emphasis my own)
For me, the most important love AND relationship is my relationship with GOD.
A relationship with God has a kind of love we humans struggle with... that of unconditional love...♥AGAPE♥
I don't know about you, but I can get so tired of trying to earn peoples love and approval.
I can never DO enough. They always expect more.
The good news is...
God has agape love for us and we don't even have to DO anything.
We can simply be a human-BEing and not have to be a human-DOing.
I don't have to earn God's love.
You don't have to earn God's love.
He gives it to us freely.
We are His sheep and know His voice.
Are you a human DOing or a human BEing?