How Do You Love?

Today when we read our bibles we are not getting the real deal. We are getting robbed of the authors sensory details because the language they used was much more descriptive. When you read the bible you miss so much if you do not know the language it was written in. Now I am not saying I am some "master" of biblical languages, I am far from it. To be honest I only know a few phrases and words of Greek and Hebrew but I believe they are very important to know and understand the bible. For example the Greeks had three primary words that they used for love.

The first is eros and it is a romantic passionate love that often dealt with lovers. We get the English word erotic from eros.

The second word is philia and it is a brotherly love. The love you share with your family and close friends. I am positive you all have heard of Philadelphia, which is the city of brotherly love.

And the third word is Agape which is the unconditional love of God. It is how God loves me and you and Joe Schmo down the street. Agape is the love that allows God to have grace for a sinner like me. Agape is why I take a stand for Christ and love him back but how do I love him? A better question would be how am I supposed to love the most lovely and lovable person to ever live?

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." Mathew 22:36-37

Jesus said we are to love God with all our heart, soul and mind but how is he saying it? Is he saying eros, philia or agape the Lord your God? It is pretty obvious that eros is not the word he uses, so is philia or agape? Are we supposed to love God like our brother or are we supposed love Him like he loves us? Is it even possible to love Him like he loves us?

The word Jesus uses here is agape, which I find to be amazing. Agape is amazing when it is used to describe the way God loves us but its hard to imagine loving like God. I do not know about you but it is easy to agape God on Sunday during worship but what about on a Wednesday? In the middle of your own monotonous week do you agape God? Do you even philia God by Friday? Or when things are going "good" in life it is easy to agape God but how about during the bad times? In the middle of drought when your are just dying for the rain, do you agape God?

I am ashamed to say it but I do not. It is my life and I have been failing at this aspect so much. By Friday I do not even philia God, he is just after thought in my life. But that is about to change because I am not afraid to agape my Saviour. I beg you to do the same and I beg you keep me conscious about it. There is not a second that goes by that Jesus does not agape me and I do not want to miss a second of agape-ing Him.