Welcome to another day in the series...Types of Love!
Yesterday, in Part 1, I talked about Agape love, which is an unconditional love, a love God gives to us without us ever having to DO anything. It can be difficult to grasp a love that requires nothing from us. Our job is to let it simply BE and accept it.
Oh, I guess I should mention, I am putting these four types of love in the order I believe they need to be sought after.
Knowing that, it makes sense that seeking a relationship with God and accepting His love should be our first priority, right? Right!
Next up...Eros Love
Yesterday, in Part 1, I talked about Agape love, which is an unconditional love, a love God gives to us without us ever having to DO anything. It can be difficult to grasp a love that requires nothing from us. Our job is to let it simply BE and accept it.
Oh, I guess I should mention, I am putting these four types of love in the order I believe they need to be sought after.
Knowing that, it makes sense that seeking a relationship with God and accepting His love should be our first priority, right? Right!
Next up...Eros Love
· Éros (ἔρως érōs) means "love, mostly of the sexual passion."[5] The Modern Greek word "erotas" means "intimate love." It can also apply to dating relationships as well as marriage. Plato refined his own definition: Although eros is initially felt for a person, with contemplation it becomes an appreciation of the beauty within that person, or even becomes appreciation of beauty itself. Plato does not talk of physical attraction as a necessary part of love, hence the use of the word platonic to mean, "without physical attraction." In the Symposium, the most famous ancient work on the subject, Plato has Socrates argue that eros helps the soul recall knowledge of beauty, and contributes to an understanding of spiritual truth, the ideal "Form" of youthful beauty that leads us humans to feel erotic desire – thus suggesting that even that sensually based love aspires to the non-corporeal, spiritual plane of existence; that is, finding its truth, just like finding any truth, leads to transcendence.[6] Lovers and philosophers are all inspired to seek truth through the means of eros.
This is the love in dating relationships or husband/wife relationships, an intimate love.
God tells us to seek and love Him first, with all our hearts, minds, body, and soul (Matt 22:37)
Without a relationship with God, other relationships will not prosper and bear good fruit.
I believe this with all of my heart. When I'm not focusing on my relationship with God, I notice I'm not very good at being a wife to my husband. Many areas of our relationship suffer...including our intimacy life.
This small blurb from Joyce Meyer helped me see how putting my relationship with God could help me in all of my relationships, but especially in my marriage.
"Benefits of Keeping God First; Make it your goal to have a deep, intimate relationship with God. Let Him into every area of your life. If you constantly look to other people for answers and validation, pray about this and ask the Lord to help you stop doing that and instead look to Him. (See 1 Thessalonians 2:4.) As we live to please God, He promises to bless our lives and make us prosper. (nowhere is that more true than in our Eros Love relationships)
When you decide to serve God with your whole heart and make Him first in your life, your soul will prosper and your joy and peace will increase. Remember to lean on Him more than anything else, and tell Him, “God, I want to do this, but I can’t do it without You.” He doesn't expect you to live for Him in your own strength or ability, and He understands when you make mistakes." (source: Putting God First) (emphasis my own)
I believe this is especially true Especially as a wife or husband!
When I feel like I can't do anything right in my relationship, my first thought needs to be, How's my relationship with God?
Its in that question I can discover how to enter or return to Eros love!
God tells us to seek and love Him first, with all our hearts, minds, body, and soul (Matt 22:37)
Without a relationship with God, other relationships will not prosper and bear good fruit.
I believe this with all of my heart. When I'm not focusing on my relationship with God, I notice I'm not very good at being a wife to my husband. Many areas of our relationship suffer...including our intimacy life.
This small blurb from Joyce Meyer helped me see how putting my relationship with God could help me in all of my relationships, but especially in my marriage.
"Benefits of Keeping God First; Make it your goal to have a deep, intimate relationship with God. Let Him into every area of your life. If you constantly look to other people for answers and validation, pray about this and ask the Lord to help you stop doing that and instead look to Him. (See 1 Thessalonians 2:4.) As we live to please God, He promises to bless our lives and make us prosper. (nowhere is that more true than in our Eros Love relationships)
When you decide to serve God with your whole heart and make Him first in your life, your soul will prosper and your joy and peace will increase. Remember to lean on Him more than anything else, and tell Him, “God, I want to do this, but I can’t do it without You.” He doesn't expect you to live for Him in your own strength or ability, and He understands when you make mistakes." (source: Putting God First) (emphasis my own)
I believe this is especially true Especially as a wife or husband!
When I feel like I can't do anything right in my relationship, my first thought needs to be, How's my relationship with God?
Its in that question I can discover how to enter or return to Eros love!
What are some ways you seek
to be a better spouse?
to be a better spouse?