You must know what today is and, assuming you do, you must know what the topic of the devotional is going to be. It’s Valentine’s Day, a centuries old celebration of romance and romantic love.
Ironically, today is also National Crème Filled Chocolates Day and National Ferris Wheel Day. We can understand celebrating the crème filled chocolates but the Ferris wheel? This is the day that George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr., the inventor of the Ferris wheel, was born. And many romances have been fostered as you snuggled close to someone on that Ferris wheel!
As Christians, we speak a lot about love and rightfully so. “God is love” (1 John 4:8), “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,” (Romans 5:8, and the moment we trusted Jesus as our Savior, “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Romans 5:5) The love that is spoken of here is that agape love – the deepest, purest, richest form of love.
Four major types of love are in the Greek and all of those rolled into one makes the love of a successful, lasting marriage.
Agape. As we saw above, this is the love of God, given sacrificially.
Phileo. Brotherly love. The love of friendship. Romans 12:10 says, “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.”
Storge. This is family love. It is also found in Romans 12:10 and demonstrated in the
truth of Matthew 19:5-6. “And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? (6) Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”
Eros. This is the romantic or erotic love. Though never used in the New Testament, it’s concept is clearly seen in 1 Corinthians 7:2-5. “Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. (3) Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. (4) The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. (5) Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.”
Since marriage is supposed to be a picture of Christ’s relationship to the church and since each of these “loves” is a gift from God, it seems reasonable that ALL forms of love are necessary to make your valentine on Valentine’s Day sizzle. Your spouse is your family, your best friend, lover, and the one you love with the love of Christ. Those experiencing all four forms of love in their marriage are blessed beyond measure!
Obviously, for those who are dating and heading towards marriage, two out of the four “loves” are at work. You want to demonstrate the agape love and you are developing the phileo love. Storge, though, doesn’t happen until the wedding. Eros happens after the wedding. That’s God’s order and design.
May you have a wonderful and blessed Valentine’s Day, especially for those who are married. Celebrate your spouse, the second greatest love of your life (remember, God is supposed to be first). Song of Solomon 1:1-2 says, “The song of songs, which is Solomon’s. (2) Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.”
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