If you follow the McElroy Brothers podcast My Brother, My Brother, and Me, you may remember the “Money Zone” segment of episode 137, “Tangentz.” In this, the brothers ask, “What am love?”
Now, perhaps it’s a stretch to take a deeper look into this wild tangent, but if you really think about it -what am love? In the Ancient Greek language, there were 8 types of love.
““Eros” or Erotic Love.
“Philia” or Affectionate Love.
“Storge” or Familiar Love.
“Ludus” or Playful Love.
“Mania” or Obsessive Love.
“Pragma” or Enduring Love.
“Philautia” or Self Love.
“Agape” or Selfless Love.” (Sol, 2018).
But even knowing what kinds of love there may be, doesn’t mean we know love’s purpose is or its role in our lives. As followers of Jesus, we believe that our most important command in life is to love (Luke 10:25-28). Furthermore, we believe we should love like Jesus did, loving as we were first loved (John 13:34, 1 John 4:19). So clearly, it’s important for Christians to understand the meaning of what love is and to know how to fulfill it. I want to take a look at two ideas: conditions and finality.
We can’t give something if we don’t first receive or obtain it. We can’t teach an idea without first understanding the idea (recognizing that we continue to grow deeper and will never come to a complete understanding). “We love as we were first loved” (1 John 4:19).
There seems to be a pattern in the Bible with commands.
For example, we should forgive because we were forgiven (Ephesians 4:32).
We do _____ because we received __________
If you have faith you will do works, but works are not a substitute of faith.
Not one or its both and. Your amount of blessing you receive is not based on your works or how much you have blessed. You don’t get blessed back just for the sake of blessing others. But it does bless you because we were made to do that. Not just If this = then this. We can continue to grow in love. Like faith and works. Works don’t produce faith but faith propels you to do things because you see God in the things.
Skew love thinking we can’t say no and that only romantic love is love. Love is what I do not who I am.
If you don’t have love you can’t give it. We need to know our identity to point other’s towards theirs.
References
McElroy, T., McElroy J., & McElroy, G. (January 21, 2013). “MBMBaM 137: Tangentz” I Heart Radio. Retrieved from: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/561-my-brother-my-brother-and-28292303/episode/mbmbam-137-tangentz-28292826/
Sol, M. “8 different types of love according to the Ancient Greeks.” LonerWolf. https://lonerwolf.com/different-types-of-love/
What Am Love?
If you follow the McElroy Brothers podcast My Brother, My Brother, and Me, you may remember the “Money Zone” segment of episode 137, “Tangentz.” In this, the brothers ask, “What am love?”
Now, perhaps it’s a stretch to take a deeper look into this wild tangent, but if you really think about it -what am love? In the Ancient Greek language there were 8 types of love:
““Eros” or Erotic Love.
“Philia” or Affectionate Love.
“Storge” or Familiar Love.
“Ludus” or Playful Love.
“Mania” or Obsessive Love.
“Pragma” or Enduring Love.
“Philautia” or Self Love.
“Agape” or Selfless Love.” (Sol, 2018).
But even knowing what kinds of love there may be, doesn’t mean we understand love’s purpose or its role in our lives. I want to be painfully clear in stating that romantic love is no more valuable than the love we have for and receive from our friends. The power within the love we have for others should hold no more strength than the love we have for ourselves. In short, we can’t give something if we don’t first receive or obtain it. Love overflows from an excess within in ourselves.
But mainly in this article I want to look into the idea of unconditional love. Conditions are the states or circumstances we are in (or put ourselves into). Our relationships with friends, family, co-workers, partners and the like are influenced by these circumstances -these conditions. When we are stressed we often let that spill out into our relationships. Studies show that if a couple marries then one becomes disabled, the other is more likely to leave the marriage.