There is no greater gift than unconditional love
"God is love."
-1 John 4:8 (NIV)
Love is an essential element of life. The desire to love and be loved is at the core of our inner being. However, in our fast-paced world, oftentimes we either overlook expressing our love for others or we don't understand the true meaning of love or how to express it.
The Bible mentions there are different types of love. There is Eros, which is romantic love, that some express as a tingling feeling at the sight of your mate and may lead to, or include, sexual intimacy.
There is also what the Bible mentions as Philia or Filial love, which is defined as a love of friends, family, and connectedness. It's a sense of belonging, like when you feel that you are part of a group.
Another type of love is Agape love. This is love that flows from God to us. It differs from the other forms of love, as it consists of faithfulness, commitment or an act of will. It's a greater form of love because it's not based on feelings or conditions, but on a decision to love.
God's love is selfless and seeks to benefit others, as shown in Christ's sacrifice on the cross, for the place of our sins.
God's love is the kind we need to learn to express toward one another. I believe the other two forms of love need to include this form to be effective. With so many self-centered attitudes filtering through our culture, we can often think love is all about getting something, but learning appropriately how to love can attract love to us.
The ways to express love are endless. It's good to study and observe those ways. Here's a few examples: Love in the form of a compliment shows we care. A compassionate word extended to a grieving friend or a handwritten note shows we have taken time to express our love. A bright smile to a stranger can break the ice. A tender word spoken in the heat of an argument can change the tone of the conversation.
When all is said and done, there is no greater thing to have achieved in life than to express Agape love to others.
• Annettee Budzban is an author, speaker, Life Coach and Nurse. She is available to speak to your church group, business, civic organization or be your personal life coach. She can be contacted at Annetteebudzban@aol.com or (847) 543-8413.