Cupid's Arrow
Preaching
Shaking Wolves Out Of Cherry Trees
And 149 Other Sermon Ideas
Purpose Statement: How do we know our love is the real thing?
In our New Testament, there are at least five words used for some form of love. Eros means sexual love, storge signifies family affection, philanthropia denotes humanitarianism, philia stands for friendship, and agape is the love God has for us. We probably work with only two types of love generally: sensual or romantic love, and a "Platonic" or friendship kind of love. One basic question concerning love can be troublesome: How do we know that our love is authentic? The same question applies for any kind of love, and for others' love for us as well as our love for them. To help answer that question we could not turn to any better passage in our scriptures than the "love chapter," 1 Corinthians 13. There are several tests or ways of knowing, but I would focus on four that appear in the fourth and fifth verses. One could include that love is not proud, conceited, kind, irritable, or jealous. I choose these:
a. Love is patient (v. 4). Love can wait and doesn't rush. This is a vital measure of the authenticity of the love one has for another. Someone who has two potential mates and doesn't yet know which one she or he "loves best" should wait and let it work itself out. If one or both of the lovers pushes for a decision, then their love could be suspect. We also have an excellent test at our disposal for when we are pressured for sex and we feel our relationship is not that far along yet. We simply say, "No." If that doesn't suffice with our partner, we look askance at the relationship.
b. Love is not ill-mannered (v. 5). Love does not test others with the old "If you love me" ultimatum. Love is never rude, crude, or thoughtless.
c. Love is not selfish (v. 5). Love is never a matter of "what I want." It thinks of the other person and her or his needs and desires. Pushed to extreme, a person who is too passive and gives in to the other partner constantly is not in a healthy relationship and needs some counseling. When you care and share with the other, it should be reciprocal. If one person needs always to get his or her own way, this is a red flag for concern.
d. Love does not keep a record of wrongs (v. 5). Love is unconditional and always forgiving. This does not mean that you allow yourself to be taken advantage of. Love never brings up old problems or sins of the other; they must remain dead and buried.
These are excellent measures of a sincere and healthy love relationship. Jesus stated it profoundly and simply, "Love your neighbor as yourself."
In our New Testament, there are at least five words used for some form of love. Eros means sexual love, storge signifies family affection, philanthropia denotes humanitarianism, philia stands for friendship, and agape is the love God has for us. We probably work with only two types of love generally: sensual or romantic love, and a "Platonic" or friendship kind of love. One basic question concerning love can be troublesome: How do we know that our love is authentic? The same question applies for any kind of love, and for others' love for us as well as our love for them. To help answer that question we could not turn to any better passage in our scriptures than the "love chapter," 1 Corinthians 13. There are several tests or ways of knowing, but I would focus on four that appear in the fourth and fifth verses. One could include that love is not proud, conceited, kind, irritable, or jealous. I choose these:
a. Love is patient (v. 4). Love can wait and doesn't rush. This is a vital measure of the authenticity of the love one has for another. Someone who has two potential mates and doesn't yet know which one she or he "loves best" should wait and let it work itself out. If one or both of the lovers pushes for a decision, then their love could be suspect. We also have an excellent test at our disposal for when we are pressured for sex and we feel our relationship is not that far along yet. We simply say, "No." If that doesn't suffice with our partner, we look askance at the relationship.
b. Love is not ill-mannered (v. 5). Love does not test others with the old "If you love me" ultimatum. Love is never rude, crude, or thoughtless.
c. Love is not selfish (v. 5). Love is never a matter of "what I want." It thinks of the other person and her or his needs and desires. Pushed to extreme, a person who is too passive and gives in to the other partner constantly is not in a healthy relationship and needs some counseling. When you care and share with the other, it should be reciprocal. If one person needs always to get his or her own way, this is a red flag for concern.
d. Love does not keep a record of wrongs (v. 5). Love is unconditional and always forgiving. This does not mean that you allow yourself to be taken advantage of. Love never brings up old problems or sins of the other; they must remain dead and buried.
These are excellent measures of a sincere and healthy love relationship. Jesus stated it profoundly and simply, "Love your neighbor as yourself."
