But the fruit of the Spirit is love

So, God says to love our neighbor. Literally that would mean, if someone is next to you, you should love 'em! However there are more than one kinds of translations of love in God's word. Which love should we have for the human race?

Did you know that Inuit Eskimos have hundreds of words for snow and we have just one? Talk about lost in translation! Well, we also have only one word for love and yet there a several words for love in the Greek language. So I did a little word study on the word love and here is what I found. Brotherly love, or philadelphia, is just that, the love we feel for our brother and sister. Or very similar in translation and origin is philadelphos, the love we feel (or should anyways!) for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

There is only one time in the Word that the word philoteknos, the love we feel for our children, is used. It isn't surprising to me that there would be a specific word for the way we should (and usually do) feel about our children. When mine were born, I had no idea my heart could love that much or that way. There is another love translated only one time and specific to one person, philandros. This is the love reserved for our husbands. (Both of these types of love are found in Titus 2:4).

So this is brings us to agape and agapao love. They are similar, but agapao is the sort of love we are commanded to give to our neighbor.... and actually, our enemies as well. The definition of agapao love is, to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly. Did you notice that there are not only actions, but feelings involved here?? So we don't only get to "play nice", we have to "FEEL nice"! Has God MET some of these humans around here?? We are supposed to love every last one of 'em? Even the ONE? you know who I mean.... the one that did that thing (or two or three or MORE things) to you? How is this possible? Are we supposed to reach inside and "muster up" some love by our own strength? That doesn't work for me. But there is good news, and it starts with the fact that we can't do it. God is asking us to do something we can't do on our own.

God's love is higher than the heavens, and deeper than the ocean. But more than that, God is love. (1John 4:16.) That verse always blows my mind. It's supposed to. God is bigger than our minds! We can not wrap our minds around Him. His ways are Higher than ours and so are His thoughts. If God had no mystery, no unknowable greatness, He wouldn't be worthy of our total affection, praise, and wonder. But He doesn't leave us just to wonder.

The word for love that is translated in 1 John 4:16 (God is love) is the agape love. It is the love described with perfection in 1 Corinthians 13 starting in verse 4: "4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails." Now go back and read that verse and put your name in it, instead of the word love. Do you live up to that standard? I know I don't! There is only One that lives up to that standard our sweet Jesus. Read it again, and this time put the name Jesus in there for love.

I know that in my every day life, I do not live out this command perfectly, and therefore, I am so grateful for the mercies and grace that are new to me every day! But I also know that when I spend time with Jesus I am changed.... people are changed by Him. The world just seems to fade away when you set your mind on Him.

You know that saying WWJD? I actually don't like that saying at all. It is so focused on our behavior. And my God is a God of relationship. He isn't a list of do's and don't's. We are to live in Him and He in us. It's a daily walk.... hand in hand... with Him. So the love He pours into us from the time spend with Him will overflow into our lives and spill onto our neighbors, and even our enemies.

So, go to Him. He is always waiting, wanting to hear from you. He longs to break down those walls you've built, heal the wounds you've suffered, and cover all your fears. Those are the barriers that keep us from loving.... It is with His love that we can love others. His love......