It's Valentine's Day, the day when we all think of love - the people who love us and the people whom we love. As I look around at people's expressions of love, I sometimes wonder: do they understand the true depth and dimensions of love? There is eros (the Greek word from which we get our word erotic), a passionate romantic love; there is philios (the Greek word from which we get our word philanthropy), an unselfish love in which we give of our means to others, quite often to strangers whom we may never know. Then there is agape which is sometimes translated as charity but which is, in reality, Christ-like love (Moroni 7: 47*) the kind of love Jesus gives to us and the kind of love He expects us to give to one another. (John 13: 34)
Agape is the most challenging of all forms of love, and yet it is the most perfect. It requires us to come out of ourselves and our needs and even our emotions to do something for someone else. M. Scott Peck, MD, author of the book The Road Less Traveled, defines love as the ability to extend oneself to further the spiritual growth of another. Another author later refined that thought by defining love as the ability to transcend oneself in such service to others. In a nutshell, agape demands that we be unselfish to our very core. That is a challenge, but one worth taking and maturing into. That it is a commandment that we do so is documented in Jesus' words to His apostles just prior to His death. (see John 13)
I saw this poster on Facebook. I downloaded it because it gives some very practical and doable actions that help us learn how to show agape love:
Let us all practice agape love today for Valentine's Day, and maybe it will help us remember to practice it tomorrow and every day. Have a great, loving day everyone!
*Moroni 7:47
But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.
Text copyright Gebara Education 2013
Picture of roses from www.lovewayz.com
Picture of 11 Ways to Love downloaded from Facebook
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