Day 205

What Is Love?

Read: Song of Solomon 5-8

Having read this passage, which speaks so much about love, it is well to ask ourselves, “What is love?” Love between a husband and wife is physical attraction, it is affection, but it must be much more than this if the marriage is to be a good one.

In the Old Testament, we read of “steadfast love.” The emphasis is on faithfulness, on keeping the covenant. God has that kind of love for us; we are to have it for each other. A husband and wife have made a covenant with each other; let there be determination to be faithful to those covenant promises.

The Greek language has several different words for love, three of which are used in the New Testament. Storgē describes natural affection for family members, erōs refers to sexual attraction and passion, philia to human affection like that of a good friend, and agapē to a determination to act for the benefit of the one loved. It is this last kind of love that the New Testament most often uses to describe God’s love for us and the love we are to have for him and for each other.

This is the kind of love described by the word agapē, which the New Testament says a husband and a wife are to have for each other. It is not primarily a matter of feelings, for emotions are very changeable. It is a matter of the will, a decision, always to treat one’s marriage partner for that person’s benefit. It is to wake up each morning and ask yourself, “What can I do to make my spouse happy?”

PRAYER
Father, help us to be totally committed to our marriage partners. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.