Principles of the Kingdom (God's Success Principles)

The Greek language had three words for love. First, there was “eros,” from which we get “erotic.” This was, of course, a purely selfish love. Then there was “Phileo.” From which was derived “Philadelphia,” or “brotherly love.” This is the love of one family member for another. But the Bible added a new one—“agape.” “Agape” is a giving love, entirely unselfish.
By way of both illustration and practical application, let me quote the following note from Mary Ellen Grisham, publisher of Eternal Link:
After counseling young couples for years, a minister I know suggested that .love is what you do….. Young couples frequently have adjustments to make to the differences in romantic courtship and the realities of day-to-day living with the rigorous requirements of work, children, house and yard keeping, and all the many tasks required to maintain a good home and marriage. Young wives, in particular, experiencing the stress of many new responsibilities, worried that their feelings for their husbands were not always so tender and romantic as they had been during dating. Even with a basis of sincere love, rushed schedules and economic necessities dimmed the glamour of marriage. With the advice that ‘love is what you do,’…., the women could concentrate less on romantic feelings and more on positive doing—showing their love in practical and effective ways. The active elements of good will and faith helped the marriages to retain the zip and spice. of a well-balanced interaction in the homes—what old-time couples used to call .give and take.
That selfless love called agape that causes each of us to focus on the needs of others with no thought of return for ourselves is a high ideal of Christian love. While it takes all kinds of love and loving to make a good home and marriage, the common element of .what you do. runs through all the forms that love takes. From romantic love to brotherly and family love, the outer evidence shows in “what you do.”
This last Greek word, “agape,” is the word used to describe the love God has for us.