We say we ‘love’ our car or our pet, what we really mean is we ‘enjoy’ it or we have affection for it. It means the object of our affection brings us some type of satisfaction or pleasure for a period of time. After a while, we find that the car we once thought we loved is no longer loved as much.
The word love is thrown around so much that its sort of lost its meaning. “Oh! I love what you’ve done with your hair!” someone might say, or “Hey! I love this food!” (One of my favorites!) How about this one, “I love that house!” While these phrases may not be wrong necessarily, the word ‘love’ should not really be used in this way. There are many other adjectives that can be used to convey the proper feelings we are expressing in these examples. I believe that the word ‘love’ should be put in its proper perspective and should be used when we truly mean it and for the purpose it came into existence.
I find it interesting that up until the first century, there was no real word to describe the fullness of the word ‘love’ in the Greek language. It wasn’t until Jesus came into this world that He introduced the word ‘agape’ into the Greek language. The word ‘agape’ simply means “God’s perfect love.” The Greeks used words such as ‘phileo’ to describe when they had a deep affection for something or someone, such as a friend, mother, father, or relative, or even to describe appreciation for something. Much in the same way we use our word ‘like’. They also used the word ‘eros’ to describe affection between a husband and wife.
In John 3:16, when it says that “God so loved the world”, it uses the word ‘egapeon’, which is derived from the word ‘agape’. How did God ‘love’ the world, one might ask? By sending His one and only Son as a sacrifice for the world! You see, God is the essence of LOVE! When the Bible says that "God is love", its not saying that God has acquired love, but rather that He is the author or originator of it! Love is something that is demonstrated, not just verbally, but with an act of the same!
As believers in Christ, we are the vehicles God uses to bring His perfect love to those around us! While we are indeed leaky vessels, He takes great pleasure in pouring out His love into us so that we may know and experience His perfect love for ourselves. We can say that we have love because we have acquired it from God. It is then our responsibility to take this love and share it with others! When we use the word love, it should carry a much deeper meaning than what we have come to know. And not only does it convey a far more deeper meaning, but its essence will last for all eternity!
This Valentine’s Day, whether it’s with a friend, husband, wife, son, daughter or any other relative or person, share the real meaning of love as a reminder of a special love that was given for all about two thousand years ago!
Oh yes! And don't just share it once, share it as much as possible! Each and every day, if need be!
Happy Valentine’s Day!!
James B. Lopez
2/14/2008
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