Insights on Living E-letter

February 2004 issue

 Love

     What is Love? This question has stirred in our minds for generations. Musicians, artists and poets try to capture the meaning and essence of love in their work.

      Last month we spoke about loving ourselves which is needed before we can love others because we can not give what we do not have for ourselves.

 There are three expressions of love;

• Eros – romantic love
• Phileo – brotherly love
• Agape – universal love for God and all humankind.

      We decide who we will love or not love. Many times that decision is based on whether we will receive love in return. If this is the case then we are not loving, we are manipulating, trying to get from a person what we think we need – their love.

      The greatest love you can have for your friends is to give your life for them. (1) This means we freely give our love without any expectation of receiving anything in return. When a person of the Jewish faith is buried, those standing at the grave site are asked to throw a shovelful of dirt over the casket.  This is the last act of kindness you can do for the person, an act of love, for they can not give you anything in return.

     Loving in this way is very powerful and freeing. It opens us up to the possibility of changing the way we act and think throughout our day. Is what I am going to do or say coming from a framework of love? This reflection prior to doing or saying something can cause a very different outcome to any situation we face.  Try it, experiment with it and I would enjoy hearing about your experiences.

 Love is powerful

Love is freeing

Love is a decision

     If we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected. (2) In this month when we celebrate Valentine’s Day, let’s make the decision to love everyone and allow others to love us. When we do this, we will receive and experience the true essence of love in our lives.

1.        John 15:13

2.        1John 4:12

Copyright © 2004 BAM! Coaching. Permission to distribute this material via email, or individual copies, is automatically granted on the condition it will be used for non-commercial purposes and will not be sold. To reproduce "Insights on Living" E-Letter  in any other format, including Internet websites, written permission is needed from Barbara Monahan.  

 Are you interested in working on this?  Call BAM! Coaching to get started.