Wednesday, February 13, 2008
LOVE in the Encyclopedia
So now that we know what the bible and God say about love let's see what the dictionary defines it as.
Wikipedia says:
The word love has many different meanings in English, from something that gives a little pleasure ("I loved that meal") to something one would die for (patriotism, family). It can describe an intense feeling of affection, an emotion, or an emotional state. In ordinary use, it usually refers to interpersonal love.
Expressions of love may include the love for a "soul" or mind, the love of laws and organizations, love for a body, love for nature, love of food, love of money, love for learning, love of power, love of fame, love for the respect of others, etcetera. Different people place varying degrees of importance on the kinds of love they receive. According to many philosophers, the only goal of life is to be happy. And there is only one happiness in life: to love and be loved. Love is essentially an abstract concept, much easier to experience than to explain.
Interpersonal Love
Interpersonal love refers to love between human beings. It is a more potent sentiment than a simple liking for another. Unrequited love refers to those feelings of love which are not reciprocated. Interpersonal love is most closely associated with interpersonal relationships.
Such love might exist between family members, friends, and couples.
Some feelings that are often associated with interpersonal love:
Affection: feelings of tenderness and/or wanting physical closeness
Attachment: satisfying basic emotional needs
Altruism: selfless or unselfish concern for another
Reciprocation: if love is mutual
Commitment: a desire to maintain love
Emotional intimacy: sharing emotions and feelings
Friendship: the spirit between friends
Kinship: family bonds
Passion: whole-hearted desire
Physical intimacy: sharing of intimate personal space
Self-interest: desiring rewards
Service: desire to help
Impersonal Love
A person can be said to love a country, principle, or goal if they value it greatly and are deeply committed to it. Similarly, compassionate outreach and volunteer workers' 'love' of their cause may be borne not of interpersonal love, but impersonal love coupled with altruism and strong political convictions. People can also 'love' material objects, animals, or activities if they invest themselves in bonding their identity with that item.
I was also talking with a church friend about this and she and I agreed that based on the bible and what is written here is that what one person says love is may not be what another person says it is. It can be many different things and has many levels.
While I still believe love is a feeling, to a certain extent, I know that it is much more than that and so big that the only being that can truly explain it is God.
Wikipedia says:
The word love has many different meanings in English, from something that gives a little pleasure ("I loved that meal") to something one would die for (patriotism, family). It can describe an intense feeling of affection, an emotion, or an emotional state. In ordinary use, it usually refers to interpersonal love.
Expressions of love may include the love for a "soul" or mind, the love of laws and organizations, love for a body, love for nature, love of food, love of money, love for learning, love of power, love of fame, love for the respect of others, etcetera. Different people place varying degrees of importance on the kinds of love they receive. According to many philosophers, the only goal of life is to be happy. And there is only one happiness in life: to love and be loved. Love is essentially an abstract concept, much easier to experience than to explain.
Interpersonal Love
Interpersonal love refers to love between human beings. It is a more potent sentiment than a simple liking for another. Unrequited love refers to those feelings of love which are not reciprocated. Interpersonal love is most closely associated with interpersonal relationships.
Such love might exist between family members, friends, and couples.
Some feelings that are often associated with interpersonal love:
Affection: feelings of tenderness and/or wanting physical closeness
Attachment: satisfying basic emotional needs
Altruism: selfless or unselfish concern for another
Reciprocation: if love is mutual
Commitment: a desire to maintain love
Emotional intimacy: sharing emotions and feelings
Friendship: the spirit between friends
Kinship: family bonds
Passion: whole-hearted desire
Physical intimacy: sharing of intimate personal space
Self-interest: desiring rewards
Service: desire to help
Impersonal Love
A person can be said to love a country, principle, or goal if they value it greatly and are deeply committed to it. Similarly, compassionate outreach and volunteer workers' 'love' of their cause may be borne not of interpersonal love, but impersonal love coupled with altruism and strong political convictions. People can also 'love' material objects, animals, or activities if they invest themselves in bonding their identity with that item.
I was also talking with a church friend about this and she and I agreed that based on the bible and what is written here is that what one person says love is may not be what another person says it is. It can be many different things and has many levels.
While I still believe love is a feeling, to a certain extent, I know that it is much more than that and so big that the only being that can truly explain it is God.
LOVE in the Bible
As I have researched how love is described in the bible, using blueletterbible.org, I first found this:
LOVE occurs 649 times in 579 verses (NLT translation)
God tells us of His love for us over and over again, after He is the one who created love! He also commands us on how and who to love. Here are some examples:
Exd 20:6
But I lavish my love on those who love me and obey my commands, even for a thousand generations.
Lev 19:18
"Never seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
Deu 6:5
And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.
Rom 12:10
Love each other with genuine affection,* and take delight in honoring each other.
Rom 13:9
For the commandments against adultery and murder and stealing and coveting--and any other commandment--are all summed up in this one commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself."*
And even though He loves us, and forgives us, He still punishes us, out of love, for our wrong doings and is there to help us onto the right path. I try to remember this, and follow God’s lead, when my children do wrong.
Num 14:18
`The LORD is slow to anger and rich in unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. Even so he does not leave sin unpunished, but he punishes the children for the sins of their parents to the third and fourth generations.'
Job 37:13
He causes things to happen on earth, either as a punishment or as a sign of his unfailing love.
The love we show others can bring us so many blessings and gifts.
Rth 2:11
"Yes, I know," Boaz replied. "But I also know about the love and kindness you have shown your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers.
2Sa 2:6
May the LORD be loyal to you in return and reward you with his unfailing love! And I, too, will reward you for what you have done.
1Ki 8:23
He prayed, "O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven or earth. You keep your promises and show unfailing love to all who obey you and are eager to do your will.
And my favorite is:
1Cr 13:4-7
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
But most importantly, God loved us so much that He sent His only son to save us. Now how wonderful is that? Can we love so much that we would be willing to send our child off to save someone? Or even better can we love so much that we are willing to give our children to God and let Him lead us in raising them and allow Him to show them His chosen path for their lives rather than ours!?
LOVE occurs 649 times in 579 verses (NLT translation)
God tells us of His love for us over and over again, after He is the one who created love! He also commands us on how and who to love. Here are some examples:
Exd 20:6
But I lavish my love on those who love me and obey my commands, even for a thousand generations.
Lev 19:18
"Never seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
Deu 6:5
And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.
Rom 12:10
Love each other with genuine affection,* and take delight in honoring each other.
Rom 13:9
For the commandments against adultery and murder and stealing and coveting--and any other commandment--are all summed up in this one commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself."*
And even though He loves us, and forgives us, He still punishes us, out of love, for our wrong doings and is there to help us onto the right path. I try to remember this, and follow God’s lead, when my children do wrong.
Num 14:18
`The LORD is slow to anger and rich in unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. Even so he does not leave sin unpunished, but he punishes the children for the sins of their parents to the third and fourth generations.'
Job 37:13
He causes things to happen on earth, either as a punishment or as a sign of his unfailing love.
The love we show others can bring us so many blessings and gifts.
Rth 2:11
"Yes, I know," Boaz replied. "But I also know about the love and kindness you have shown your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers.
2Sa 2:6
May the LORD be loyal to you in return and reward you with his unfailing love! And I, too, will reward you for what you have done.
1Ki 8:23
He prayed, "O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven or earth. You keep your promises and show unfailing love to all who obey you and are eager to do your will.
And my favorite is:
1Cr 13:4-7
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
But most importantly, God loved us so much that He sent His only son to save us. Now how wonderful is that? Can we love so much that we would be willing to send our child off to save someone? Or even better can we love so much that we are willing to give our children to God and let Him lead us in raising them and allow Him to show them His chosen path for their lives rather than ours!?
LOVE
A question came through a group I’m a member of: “What is Love?”
Boy was I ready with my answer. I had done a healing study in 2006/2007 entitled “Changes that Heal”. It covered some thoughts about love. This was important to me as I’m a survivor of child abuse and reading this book explained several things, to me, about how my family acts towards me.
Here’s some of what I learned:
There can be love, but it’s not an attachment or anything more than a deep care if there is no emotion behind it. You also can’t have a true love if you don’t have compassion too. Here’s what my book said: compassion: a belonging love, faithful, loyal love. As quoted, in the book, “only compassion drives us to real sacrificial love”. Sacrificial means, relating to – involving sacrifice. Another meaning of compassion is to have a deep feeling from a deep attachment and empathy. Love is unconditional.
I had answered the question with this:
Love is a feeling you have for someone, for everyone. God created love through His love for us and wants us to share that love with everyone. Love is big enough to be share with all human beings and more.
Someone else came back and said that love is not a feeling at all. Being confused by this I decided to research the subject. The next couple of postings will go over my findings so that this one isn’t so long.
I hope you will read them, enjoy them, and let me know your thoughts.
Boy was I ready with my answer. I had done a healing study in 2006/2007 entitled “Changes that Heal”. It covered some thoughts about love. This was important to me as I’m a survivor of child abuse and reading this book explained several things, to me, about how my family acts towards me.
Here’s some of what I learned:
There can be love, but it’s not an attachment or anything more than a deep care if there is no emotion behind it. You also can’t have a true love if you don’t have compassion too. Here’s what my book said: compassion: a belonging love, faithful, loyal love. As quoted, in the book, “only compassion drives us to real sacrificial love”. Sacrificial means, relating to – involving sacrifice. Another meaning of compassion is to have a deep feeling from a deep attachment and empathy. Love is unconditional.
I had answered the question with this:
Love is a feeling you have for someone, for everyone. God created love through His love for us and wants us to share that love with everyone. Love is big enough to be share with all human beings and more.
Someone else came back and said that love is not a feeling at all. Being confused by this I decided to research the subject. The next couple of postings will go over my findings so that this one isn’t so long.
I hope you will read them, enjoy them, and let me know your thoughts.
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