In the movie, “A Night at the Roxbury,” one of the songs played is, “What Is Love?” written by Haddaway in 1993. That is a question most of us ask and try to find an answer to during our life. What is Love? As Americans we love the USA, we love baseball, hotdogs and apple pie. We love our husbands, wives, children, grandchildren and friends.
In the English language we use only one word to describe all our loves and that word is simply love. The definition of love is: an intense feeling of deep affection, a person or thing that one loves, or to feel a deep romantic or sexual attachment to (someone.)
We have songs, poems and movies all about love. I read a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. and he said, “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.
Billy Graham wrote and I quote, “Young people talk a lot about love. Most of their songs are about love.” “The supreme happiness of life,” Victor Hugo said long ago, is the conviction that we are loved.” “Love is the first requirement for mental health,” declared Sigmund Freud. The Bible teaches that “God is love” and that God loves you. To realize that is of paramount importance. Nothing else matters so much. And in loving you, God has wonderful plans for your life. Who else could plan and guide your life so well? End of quote.
In the Greek language there are four words used for love. The first is Philia, is a brotherly love, which says I love you but I expect something in return. The second is Eros, which is the physical side off love. Storge is also another word used for love but the one I want to focus on is Agape. This is an unconditional love. It is a sacrificial love expecting nothing in return and even loves enemies.
This is the love used in a very famous verse that you usually see at sports games. John 3:16. For God so loved (Agape) the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
This is the love God has for mankind and it is the type of love we need to have for one another. What is love? Look to God and His Word and you will read what true love is. The Apostle Paul describes what love is in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8.
Can you imagine a world that would practice the love describe in Matthew 22:37-38? This is the highest principle of love. And He said to him, “You shall love the LORD your God with all you heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
If we all practiced this principle of love what a world of love, joy and peace we would have. Please be safe and stay healthy and soon we shall be together again.
Love and prayers, Pastor Mike.