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Love is more than just romance.
By Jesse Oakley — Written on Oct 03, 2019
Whatever happened to simple love? It seems like every day there’s some new romantic fad put out into the world.
Whether that’s a movie, TV show, book or getaway, it’s always something new out for couples or to inspire people to get together.
While it can be a bit much, there’s really nothing wrong with it. But sometimes, I think we tend to forget that there’s another kind of love out there that deserves some attention too. It’s simply what I like to call every day, platonic love.
Everyday love is pretty simple. All it means is the love that isn’t put toward romance. For example, the love you give your parents or friends.
But it goes beyond that too. It’s also the love and compassion you show for others, like when you help charities around Christmas time.
And of course, the love you show for your own children if you have any falls under this category as well.
So what doesn’t everyday love look like?
Well, it’s certainly not the love of money. In fact, that’s greed and one of the seven deadly sins. It’s also not a love of material possessions either, nor is it the love you have for a sports team. It’s simply the love you show for others in a non-romantic way.
In the Bible, this sort of love comes up a lot. I suppose another way to call it would be Jesus’s love. He had a love for everyone, but it certainly wasn’t romantic. He just cared for everyone deeply and wanted everyone else to do the same.
And even without Jesus, the Bible contains a TON of verses and passages about love. It spans anywhere from the classic “love thy neighbor” to the relationship one has with God.
The Bible has a lot to offer when it comes to love and if we spent the whole time talking about each verse, this article would be at least 50 pages long.
So instead, here are the top 10 verses every person should know when it comes to the other kind of love.
1. The verse of love.
“4 Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud, 5 doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; 6 doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.” — Corinthians 13:4-7
2. Love above all.
“12 Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do. 14 Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection.” — Colossians 3:12-14
3. Love is steady.
"We know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and he who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.” — 1 John 4:16
4. It can cover sin.
“And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins.” — 1 Peter 4:8
5. The first is to worship God above all else, and the second...
"The second is like this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” — Mark 12:31
6. You can’t love God without loving others.
“If a man says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who doesn’t love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?" — 1 John 4:20
7. It will bring you life.
“He who follows after righteousness and kindness finds life, righteousness, and honor.” — Proverbs 21:21
8. Love your enemies as well.
“43 You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.” — Matthew 5:43-45
9. It’s one of the fruits of the spirit.
“22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” — Galatians 5:22-23
10. And of course, the one everyone knows.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only born Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” — John 3:16
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Jesse Oakley is a writer who writes about love, relationships, self-care and spirituality/astrology.