The best way to identify something is to know its description first, right? Frustration can be defined by searching for something without knowing what you're looking for. To define Love seems as subjective and elusive as to define the meaning of life.
Endless song’s, sonnets, books, movies, cards and quotes have been created in hopes of describing love. The "love industry" sets to try to describe love, and this is an industry that will seemingly last forever just the same as marriages will inevitably end. Still, we are in in search of the love found in Hosea 2:19-20 as it says.
"I will take you to be My wife forever. I will take you to be My wife in righteousness, justice, love, and compassion. I will take you to be My wife in faithfulness..."
We have so many types of love that sometimes it seems that love is just a subjective phrase. We may have a favorite food and we'll describe our feeling as love.... but we know we're looking for love greater than this from our partner here on earth. We love our friends and even some neighbors, but we know we require more.
Without knowing how to define love objectively, we're left up to our subjective feelings to define this most important word. Of course, we know that feelings are based on emotion and emotions can change in a snap. Does it seem reckless than to commit our lives to someone based on a feeling? No wonder why half of all marriages end in divorce. Our love for another cannot be defined by a feeling.
If love isn't a feeling, and we can't define it objectivily, how are we to ever know what True Love is?
The Greek language contains five words to describe the different ways we love. The words in Greek are:
Thelma, means DESIRE or attraction. This is the desire to take action, to DO something.
Eros, Erotas, Phelia, Storage and Agape. These words help us to define what complete love is, as they're defined below.
Eros, is passionate love, with sensual desire and longing.
Erotas ~ means "romantic love." Although eros requires a desire or thelma to be felt for a person, it becomes an appreciation of the beauty within that person, or even becomes appreciation of beauty itself. Because this love involves so much emotion, eros has the greatest ability to be, or cause the most confusion. This is most often confused with lust, as the feelings are very similar. Lust however is derived from the Greek word "porneo" in which we also have derived the word "pornography". "Porneo" literally means to become so overcome with feelings that you are turning away from God.
Phelia ~ means FRIENDSHIP. This transcends the other requirements of love by requiring loyalty, virtue, equality and familiarity. Friendship needs to be about something; a desire or enjoyment of an activity or thought or humor, etc…
Storage ~ means AFFECTION, which is a fondness through familiarity. This is the type of love found among families or any other sense of kinship with another. This love is the most natural as this can also be associated as “blind” or unconditional love because it doesn’t require a “value” like friendship requires.
Agape ~ means LOVE. This is the highest form of love, but by itself still doesn’t define true love. This is a feeling of being content or holding one in high regard. Agape is self-sacrificing, giving love to all--both friend and enemy.
Complete love is all of these loves combined. This love is defined by how God loves us.
God never says "the Love of another will last forever".
Our love on Earth will surly end as we vow to another "till death do us part".
Unfortunately we find it difficult to even love this long.
God does promise us that His love will be everlasting.
As Hosea ends, it says "...and you will know THE LORD"
When you surrender to The Lord, you are married to Him forever.
Endless song’s, sonnets, books, movies, cards and quotes have been created in hopes of describing love. The "love industry" sets to try to describe love, and this is an industry that will seemingly last forever just the same as marriages will inevitably end. Still, we are in in search of the love found in Hosea 2:19-20 as it says.
"I will take you to be My wife forever. I will take you to be My wife in righteousness, justice, love, and compassion. I will take you to be My wife in faithfulness..."
We have so many types of love that sometimes it seems that love is just a subjective phrase. We may have a favorite food and we'll describe our feeling as love.... but we know we're looking for love greater than this from our partner here on earth. We love our friends and even some neighbors, but we know we require more.
Without knowing how to define love objectively, we're left up to our subjective feelings to define this most important word. Of course, we know that feelings are based on emotion and emotions can change in a snap. Does it seem reckless than to commit our lives to someone based on a feeling? No wonder why half of all marriages end in divorce. Our love for another cannot be defined by a feeling.
If love isn't a feeling, and we can't define it objectivily, how are we to ever know what True Love is?
The Greek language contains five words to describe the different ways we love. The words in Greek are:
Thelma, means DESIRE or attraction. This is the desire to take action, to DO something.
Eros, Erotas, Phelia, Storage and Agape. These words help us to define what complete love is, as they're defined below.
Eros, is passionate love, with sensual desire and longing.
Erotas ~ means "romantic love." Although eros requires a desire or thelma to be felt for a person, it becomes an appreciation of the beauty within that person, or even becomes appreciation of beauty itself. Because this love involves so much emotion, eros has the greatest ability to be, or cause the most confusion. This is most often confused with lust, as the feelings are very similar. Lust however is derived from the Greek word "porneo" in which we also have derived the word "pornography". "Porneo" literally means to become so overcome with feelings that you are turning away from God.
Phelia ~ means FRIENDSHIP. This transcends the other requirements of love by requiring loyalty, virtue, equality and familiarity. Friendship needs to be about something; a desire or enjoyment of an activity or thought or humor, etc…
Storage ~ means AFFECTION, which is a fondness through familiarity. This is the type of love found among families or any other sense of kinship with another. This love is the most natural as this can also be associated as “blind” or unconditional love because it doesn’t require a “value” like friendship requires.
Agape ~ means LOVE. This is the highest form of love, but by itself still doesn’t define true love. This is a feeling of being content or holding one in high regard. Agape is self-sacrificing, giving love to all--both friend and enemy.
Complete love is all of these loves combined. This love is defined by how God loves us.
God never says "the Love of another will last forever".
Our love on Earth will surly end as we vow to another "till death do us part".
Unfortunately we find it difficult to even love this long.
God does promise us that His love will be everlasting.
As Hosea ends, it says "...and you will know THE LORD"
When you surrender to The Lord, you are married to Him forever.
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