Dev4GamersDevotions for Real People, for Real Gamers!

1 Corinthians 13:6-7 (New International Version)

6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Oh come on baby, I love you! Don’t you love me? If you did you would let me. . .

Ahh, the lines from 90% of the movies of my youth. Somewhere along the lines boys have learned a simple truth about girls. That the need, desire, and want to be loved. Don’t we all? But they have twisted LOVE into something that will benefit them, get them what they want. They think, if I tell her I lover her then she will let me sleep with her. Then I can just lose her number and never call her again.

Now pay attention. I am about to say something very important.

Sex does not equal love!

Love in the Bible is categorized into 3 forms. Phileo, Agape and Eros.

Phileo love is called brotherly love. The type of love we show for our fellow man. You will find somewhat modern examples of this form of love in the name of a famous city. Philadelphia, or the city of Brotherly Love.

Eros (ἔρως érōs) is passionate love, with sensual desire and longing. This is the love you show your spouse. That need and desire that drives you to want to please them and be pleased. PLEASE know that this form of love was given to us by God, but it is to be found within the confines of the marriage commitment that he set up for us.

Agape is the love that only God can show us. The love that he displayed while sending his son to die for us. This is the deepest love possible. Also referred to as worshipful love, this is the type of love that leads us to want to tell others about Christ.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the young believers in Corinth about God’s deep love. Not the Eros love of the temple prostitutes, but a deeper love.

Let’s quickly look at what this love holds.

1. Does not delight in evil
2. Rejoices with truth.
3. Protects.
4. Trusts.
5. Hopes
6. Perseveres.

Let’s take a look at these words in light of the opening statement. Is telling someone you love them simply so you can get in their pants the truth? Will it protect them when the next day you dump them like yesterdays trash? Can it help build trust in a person when they are dumped on in such a way? What about the hope that person has? Often they become broken and susceptible to repeating this pattern because its all they know. And finally, can it preserve that person?

The answer is obviously no. God’s love, the love we should show others should highlight and center on these aspects of God’s love.