Walking home through Neath today, something that my wife said the other day came back to my memory, this is often the case for me, Menna is full of pearls that get me thinking spiritual stuff.
We were recently blessed with our second daughter, and Menna commented on how you can love something so very much that a short time ago you had never even set eyes on. And walking home from the In law's this evening I started thinking about love.
In Greek there are four words that can be translated into English as love.
Storge, Philia, Eros and Agape.
Although each word means love, they each hold a very different meaning: -
Philia - in ancient greek it would have meant friendship, the kind of love that you feel for your friends, the texts read philos, it referred to the love between family and friends, an enjoyment of an activity shared with those people. A Brotherly love.
Storge - its an affection, usually a natural affection like when people tell you that they love pizza, or their computer.
Eros - the type of love that is shared between husband and wife, attraction, sensual, sexual desiring love
Agape - sacrificial, unconditional love.
Now why have I been looking at this, why have I been thinking about it today on my walk home.
Well, let me start by sharing the reason I was walking home. As a family we spent much of the day over at my in laws, since I am still of on paternity leave from my job, it has been a real blessing to be able to head over to my wife's parents and chill out, let gran help out with the kids, killing two birds with one stone - gives my wife and I a bit of a rest and gran cant wait to get her hands on the gran kids, so happiness all round generally.
Today for reasons unknown in the minds of parents the world over I am sure, my eldest daughter, who is only 17 months herself was being - for lack of a better term - a whinge-bag. No matter what was happening she was crying, moaning, or throwing a tantrum. This had been going on most of the afternoon and during dinner I had enough. So stuck her in the buggy to go for a walk to try to settle her off to sleep. Now in fairness to my little girl she is normally very busy and into everything, but not normally grumpy, so the chances are she was a) over-tired from not sleeping the night before. b) teething or c) she's coming down with something.
So off we set for the 15-20 min walk home from the grandparents place, and I got thinking about how even though she was being very naughty around dinner time, I can not stay angry at her for long. She's far to cute for that and I love her way too much.
Then it dawned on me that this is the earthly picture of what God holds towards us His children. Now I don't claim to be anywhere near God's league in the loving people stakes, I realised that God has entrusted my children to me as a way of showing me just how much I mean to Him also.
Children are a gift from God, there is no doubt in my mind, but they are not perfect, but nor are we as humans, since Adam and Eve fell in the garden God has had to look upon His creation as we have turned our backs on Him, ignored Him, made fun of Him at times, and although I doubt my daughters will ever get to this point with me (my wife maybe - but not my girls) God was crucified by His own children.
John 3:16 says For God so Loved the world that he gave His one and only begotten Son...
The word used here is agape
1 Corinthians 13 the love chapter of the bible uses the word agape, '....the greatest of these is love'
So what does that mean for us???
Agape is unconditional, there are no boundaries for it, there are no rules that apply to make it. The whole point it that nothing matters, nothing can affect or change this feeling. This is what God showers upon His creation. Agape.
It doesn't matter that you are a sinner, it doesn't matter that you are not and never will be worthy to stand before God, it doesn't matter that you are as imperfect as you could be, God still loves you.
Does this mean that you can get away with anything you like - well no it doesn't, your actions will not change the fact that God loves you, but your actions with always have consequences. God hates the sin yet loves the sinner.
God loves you period. But there is a response that is required of us also.
John 14:15 'If you love Me, you will keep my commandments'
We were recently blessed with our second daughter, and Menna commented on how you can love something so very much that a short time ago you had never even set eyes on. And walking home from the In law's this evening I started thinking about love.
In Greek there are four words that can be translated into English as love.
Storge, Philia, Eros and Agape.
Although each word means love, they each hold a very different meaning: -
Philia - in ancient greek it would have meant friendship, the kind of love that you feel for your friends, the texts read philos, it referred to the love between family and friends, an enjoyment of an activity shared with those people. A Brotherly love.
Storge - its an affection, usually a natural affection like when people tell you that they love pizza, or their computer.
Eros - the type of love that is shared between husband and wife, attraction, sensual, sexual desiring love
Agape - sacrificial, unconditional love.
Now why have I been looking at this, why have I been thinking about it today on my walk home.
Well, let me start by sharing the reason I was walking home. As a family we spent much of the day over at my in laws, since I am still of on paternity leave from my job, it has been a real blessing to be able to head over to my wife's parents and chill out, let gran help out with the kids, killing two birds with one stone - gives my wife and I a bit of a rest and gran cant wait to get her hands on the gran kids, so happiness all round generally.
Today for reasons unknown in the minds of parents the world over I am sure, my eldest daughter, who is only 17 months herself was being - for lack of a better term - a whinge-bag. No matter what was happening she was crying, moaning, or throwing a tantrum. This had been going on most of the afternoon and during dinner I had enough. So stuck her in the buggy to go for a walk to try to settle her off to sleep. Now in fairness to my little girl she is normally very busy and into everything, but not normally grumpy, so the chances are she was a) over-tired from not sleeping the night before. b) teething or c) she's coming down with something.
So off we set for the 15-20 min walk home from the grandparents place, and I got thinking about how even though she was being very naughty around dinner time, I can not stay angry at her for long. She's far to cute for that and I love her way too much.
Then it dawned on me that this is the earthly picture of what God holds towards us His children. Now I don't claim to be anywhere near God's league in the loving people stakes, I realised that God has entrusted my children to me as a way of showing me just how much I mean to Him also.
Children are a gift from God, there is no doubt in my mind, but they are not perfect, but nor are we as humans, since Adam and Eve fell in the garden God has had to look upon His creation as we have turned our backs on Him, ignored Him, made fun of Him at times, and although I doubt my daughters will ever get to this point with me (my wife maybe - but not my girls) God was crucified by His own children.
John 3:16 says For God so Loved the world that he gave His one and only begotten Son...
The word used here is agape
1 Corinthians 13 the love chapter of the bible uses the word agape, '....the greatest of these is love'
So what does that mean for us???
Agape is unconditional, there are no boundaries for it, there are no rules that apply to make it. The whole point it that nothing matters, nothing can affect or change this feeling. This is what God showers upon His creation. Agape.
It doesn't matter that you are a sinner, it doesn't matter that you are not and never will be worthy to stand before God, it doesn't matter that you are as imperfect as you could be, God still loves you.
Does this mean that you can get away with anything you like - well no it doesn't, your actions will not change the fact that God loves you, but your actions with always have consequences. God hates the sin yet loves the sinner.
God loves you period. But there is a response that is required of us also.
John 14:15 'If you love Me, you will keep my commandments'
With this come promises from Christ that as Christians we should hold on to.
The first is one that as born again Christians we should already experience which is that of the promised comforter - the Holy Spirit. the others can be found: -
John 14:21
John 14:23
John 15:10
And then for me I hold fast to 1 John 5:3
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.
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