LOVE IS A FOUR LETTER WORD BUT WHAT IS REAL LOVE? Often Christian Love Is Said To Be Real Love, Although People Are Confused When They Observe The Behavior Of Those Who Claim To Be Followers Of Christ. Indeed many are the words that people use but actually demonstrating what love depicts appears to be another matter.

What is real Christian love and how do you live it out in day to day encounters with people who only treat you with politeness?

Happy Riches answers request by Diane Shatto

Love is one of those four letter words that people frequently use. People often like to claim (in their ignorance) that the four letter English word “love” is deficient—but only to those who do not possess it. Other languages putatively possess more ways to express love than what is possible using English. Greek has six different words according to one source, while ignoring Storge (love of family).

The New Testament has only three words that are used to convey the idea of love: agape, philo, storge. Surprisingly, even though conjugal relations between men and woman are mentioned, eros (sexual love) is not used to describe any aspect of love within the New Testament. This alone is suggestive of the fact that love is something that transcends the act of copulation—or any four letter word used that distorts the generic purity of what are sublime expressions of intimacy during human intercourse. Hence, we learn of the love of God (agape), the love of humans (philo) and the affectionate love of family (storge—φιλόστοργοι—Romans 12:10).

Love, therefore, from a biblical perspective appears to an element of being that focuses on non-physical relationships between people. If we understand that the Bible teaches God is love (1 John 4:8) and God is spirit (John 4:24), we are able to grasp that true love is intangible yet perceptible; even if not something that is known by our physical senses.

Instead of using the term for brotherly love, the Apostle Paul informs us that we need to use godly love, if we are to fulfill the law and love our neighbors as ourselves.

• Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. (Romans 13:8)

Real Christian love has to be godly love, not brotherly affection, not the natural love for one’s family, nor having anything to do with cupid, or even erotica. Godly love is the desire for all men to respect each other and appreciate one another. Such respect cannot happen unless every person enters into eternal life and comes to a knowledge of the truth.

• First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way. This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony to which was borne at the proper time. (1 Timothy 2:1-6)

Since God’s desire is for ALL (everybody—not just some) to come to salvation, even if there are those who choose to reject their salvation, Christian love comes with the same desire.

However, instead of attempting to force people within close proximity to accept our point of view by berating them with Scripture, we, as Christians, ought to provide those within our propinquity the opportunity to observe our attitude to life—our perpetual optimism—when the chips are down. Those who are not able to observe our attitudinal behavior, our emotional disposition under stress, and our character traits (faithfulness, meekness and self-restraint), we may attempt to provoke intellectually to consider the futility of existence, having been born only to die; not to mention the injustice of having to be born only to experience suffering in this world.

On a day to day basis, we need to learn to allow the Spirit of God to show us how to take the speck out of other people’s eyes. This is not something that we do by constantly throwing verbal messages sheathed with scriptural texts, although salting our speech with words of wisdom may appear similar, but is vastly different. The fruit of righteousness (Proverbs 11:30) is sown by those who make peace, rather than create war in the workplace.

• And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. (James 3:18)

Admittedly, people, who have ungodly intentions, will hit on you in one way or another, but the art of the deal is something that we learn by allowing the Holy Spirit to guide and lead us, as we relate to those with whom we come in contact. Those with whom we have frequent contact, our personal witness ought to be that of the Holy Spirit beaming as we take up our cross (1 John 2:6).

Authenticity is the key. If people are polite, be polite. If people are rude, be polite. If people are hostile, learn how to be polite in such situations while dissipating their hostility. This might sound pollyannish, but the Apostle did not think so (Philippians 4:4-11). If a stuff-up occurs, acknowledge it, be down-to-earth and genuine, while holding fast to the rope of eternal hope. Who is the greater, those who would attempt to rattle our mettle or the One Whom loves us the most.

Knowing What To Do Is A Little Different To Knowing How It’s Done