Do You Know the Four Different Kinds of Love?

Let’s talk about four different kinds of love that will lead us to a deeper understanding of God’s true love. This week we celebrate Valentine’s Day. It’s a day set aside for us to express our affection to those we love, embrace romance, and a great excuse to leave those January resolutions behind and eat chocolate. I think we use the word love too flippantly. We love everything from ice-cream to a new dress or a new car. Why do we choose to say we love things which can’t love us back? Because we take love for granted. But what is love? The world is always trying to tell us what love should be, but what description does God share with us in His word?

Do You Know Hot Love?

One of the four different kinds of love is called Eros. Eros is where we get the word erotic. The word comes from the name of the Greek mythological god of love and physical attraction in every sense. Like HOT love! Cupid was the Roman version of Eros. Can you tell where Valentine’s Day came from now? Although, Eros (the term) is not mentioned in the old testament you can read about erotic love in the book of Song of Solomon. This type of love is reserved for married couples.  I mean these words are full of passion!

Solomon’s Song of Songs. 1:1-4 (NIV)

 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
for your love is more delightful than wine.
 Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes;
your name is like perfume poured out.
No wonder the young women love you!
Take me away with you—let us hurry!
Let the king bring me into his chambers.

Love One Another

Our second of the four different kinds of love is Philia. I’m sure many of us have heard of Philadelphia, PA, otherwise known as the city of brotherly love. Brotherly love is what Philia is all about. It’s the kind of love believers should demonstrate towards one another.

Philia involves loving your brothers and sisters in Christ with compassion, love, and respect, and caring about their needs. It is a deep bond of friendship which surpasses human rationale.

Jesus tells us in John 13:35:

 ^“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

A Bond of Love

The third of our four different types of love is Storge. Storge has to do with the natural bonds of love that form within your family. Fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters develop this type of love because of deep affection for one another. An example of this type of love is:

Romans 12:10  Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

A Perfect Love

The last of the four types of love is Agape. Of the four different types of love, this is the most powerful because it defines God’s love for us. Agape love is perfect, sacrificial, and immeasurable. This is divine love in its purest form.  Agape is love that we have to do nothing for and that we do not deserve.

The best way to describe agape love can be summed up in this one verse.

John 3:16

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

God gives us a beautiful expression of unadulterated love. God desires a meaningful, loving relationship with everyone. I have never known an agape love like God’s, but it is because of Him I am learning what it means to love people as God loves me.

I’m No Expert

First, let me tell you, I am no expert at love. Love is something I learn more about every day. I’m also honest when I say I fail at it daily. Why? Because I’m the one trying to love rather than allowing God’s perfect agape love to flow through me. When we try to love on our own, we find out how imperfect our love is towards others. As humans, we tend to love with limits and conditions, but God's love is unconditional and limitless Share on XAs humans, we tend to love with limits and conditions, but God’s love is unconditional and limitless.

The Truth

My heart can be selfish, demanding and stubborn. It isn’t something I am proud of, but I am a work in progress. God teaches me daily how to love and how not to love. The Bible is full of examples of ordinary people like you and me who had to learn the same lessons about God’s love.

But at the end of the day, it is good to know we are perfectly loved by a God who doesn’t see us as a disaster, but as His daughters and sons whom He loves more than we can ever comprehend.

What is Love?

Love is a plethora of emotions and is one of the strongest bonds we can have with one another. Love can cause you the deepest pain you have ever felt in your life, or bring you the greatest joy you can experience on earth and in heaven. The Bible is pretty specific about what love is and what love isn’t.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud  or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.  It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

We tend to hear this scripture mostly at weddings, but this is how we need to love daily.

We read in scripture that God is love and for the believer, it is because of His love we can love others. God’s love endures forever! His love is unchanging, and there is nothing we can do to separate ourselves from the love of God.

Love IS the Sparkle Factor

Let’s face it; love makes you sparkle! Love will make you shine and glow! It can even make you downright giddy with excitement! With the love of God in our hearts, we have the ultimate reason to be happy and know love. Why? Because of the love that’s demonstrated to us through the life and death of Jesus Christ. We did nothing to deserve this love, yet He gave it to us freely.

An Example of Love

I don’t want people to look at me and think “Wow, for having a love of Jesus in her heart she looks and acts miserable.” If I am not showing others the affection that God has for them or myself, I’m not demonstrating the love of Christ. God calls us to be His image bearers to the world. It isn’t my job to fix the world; it is my job to love the people in the world.

What Love Grows

When love grows in our lives, it also bears fruit such as forgiveness, kindness, mercy, compassion, empathy, grace and joy. A lack of love can stifle a soul, and the pain of feeling unloved can cause a bitter root to grow. As we plant seeds of love and shower them with affection, love can grow into beautiful praise for God. This is the importance of loving as the Father loves us. In our lives, love plays an important part, but none more important than knowing God first loved us.

Share the Love

There are four different types of love, but all are equally important for us to understand and demonstrate to one another. Share the love in every way and let others see Jesus every day!