essay on love is giving and forgiving in english

Love is Giving

by Spirit & Truth | Aug 13, 2013 | christian living giving God Love outreach relationship service

Welcome to this December monthly teaching on Love Is Giving.

I think that it is appropriate to be talking about love in the month of December because this is the month that we celebrate the birth of Christ. Now, I think that most of us know that Jesus Christ was not born in December; but nevertheless, we celebrate the birth of Christ in December. It is appropriate to think about God’s love in the month of December and the fact that God so loved that He gave. Also, I think that in another sense that it is always appropriate to talk about love because in 1 John 4:8 Scripture tells us that God is love.

1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Since God is love and since we are commanded to be like God (remember Ephesians 5:1 says, “be imitators of God”), it is important to know what love is. If I were the Devil and was holding a committee meeting to find out how to confuse the issues related to God, theology, and life, one of the things that I would confuse would be what is love. Ladies and gentlemen, that is precisely what has happened in our world today. I would say that the vast majority of the people on the face of the earth do not know what the love of God is. What we are going to try to do in this transcription is take a look at Scripture and see if we can better understand what the love of God is and what we are commanded to do when God tells us to love Him and love others. What the Devil has done is that he has confused the issue so that the word love is not well understood.

In the Greek there are at least four words that can be translated into our English word love. We are going to be looking at each of these four, at least a little bit. The four Greek words are agape [that is the noun], agapao [that is the verb], phileos [that is the noun form], phileo [that is the verb form], eros —I think that we are familiar with that. We get our word erotic from it, and storge may be new to you. The four are: agape , phileo , eros , and storge . Now, they all translate into love in English, and I think that you can begin to see the problem already—that when I tell somebody that I am being loving or when I expect love from someone, what exactly do I want? In the Greek, they did a much better job of explaining this so that people could understand what was said.

What we need to do now is that we need to “unpack,” if you will. Imagine a suitcase with four different pieces of clothing in it and sometimes the whole suitcase gets called one thing. What we need to do is unpack the English definition of love so that we can understand it and use it as God uses it. Now, to do that and especially biblically, we need to understand those four Greek words.

First we have agape . Agape love is love that is related to obedience, and it is expressed in giving. Agape love is revealed by actions not feelings. We are going to spend a lot more time on agape , so we will go back and re-cover that.

Phileo love is love between friends. Perhaps you are familiar with our American city Philadelphia, which comes from phileos = love and adelphoes = brethren; thus Philadelphia, they say is the city of brotherly love. Phileo is the love that is between friends. Phileo love does involve a feeling, and in that sense, phileo love can actually be more personal than agape love. You really need to wrap your mind around that and get that. With agape , I can love someone by doing something for them when I have no feelings for them at all, but with phileo love, it involves a feeling. In that sense, it can be more personal than agape . For example, you can agape love your enemies, but you cannot phileo love your enemies.

Next you have eros . I think that most of us are familiar with eros and erotic love. It is the strong sexual attraction that one person will feel toward another.

A love that we may not be as familiar with but the Greeks expressed it very well is storge . Storge love is familial love. It is love between family members and particularly love between parents and children. The Greeks recognized that a strong attraction existed particularly between parents and children or parents and babies. This very strong attraction did not really fit agape , phileo , or eros . It is a family love. I think that we run into that a little bit when you see the reaction of most women when they see a little baby. They just have this warm feeling, and they are like, “Oh,” when they see the baby. Well, from where does that come? That is the storge , the family love, the love that God put inside a man’s heart for his children or a woman’s heart for her children or the children for their parents. That is a storge love. It is very much a part of the way that God designed us to be. When God says that He is a Father to us and that He loves us, that is storge love, and it is very much a part of the picture.

As I said earlier, agape is related to obedience, and it is expressed in giving. This is a huge key to recognizing agape love. How do we recognize agape love? Well, we look for giving. Let us look at John 3:16. Now, this is very appropriate to look at John 3:16 in football season because if you are an avid watcher of football, then you cannot watch to many games before you will see hung over the rail of some stadium a sheet or a sign with John 3:16 on it. What is the person holding that sign trying to communicate?

John 3:16 “For God so loved [ agape ] the world that he gave [big key here] his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Agape love is expressed in giving. Let me show it to you again from Christ’s perspective.

Ephesians 5:1 and 2 (1) Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children (2) and live a life of love, just as Christ loved [ agape ] us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Amen, God so loved that He gave; Christ so loved that he gave. This is very important, and it needs to be understood in order for us to understand about love in our culture because what do we commonly hear on the street? You might hear me say, “I love Oreo cookies.” Well, you might hear me say it, but the fact is that I do not love Oreo cookies with the love of God. I do not give them anything! What happens between an Oreo cookie and me is that I eat it! I like the way that it tastes. I put it in my mouth, and I enjoy the flavor. I am not giving anything to the Oreo cookie. It does not even have a special place on my pantry shelf. I am not giving at all; I am taking from the cookie. If someone says, “I love ice cream.” They are not giving anything to the ice cream. When somebody says, “I love the beach.” They do not love the beach; they like the beach. They are not doing anything for the beach. What they are doing is that they are going to the beach and they are enjoying themselves. They enjoy the way it makes them feel. They like it. Because they like it a lot, what happens in our culture is that we say, “We love the beach.” The problem is that we are raised in a culture where from the time that a child is really just beginning to understand communication, what are they hearing? I love ice cream. I love the beach. I love Oreo cookies—that type of thing. What happens is that the word like and the word love get confused, and the concept of what the love of God is becomes confused. When true agape love is being expressed, giving is involved with that — a giving of yourself.

Now, let us see how it translates out into our culture. You get a guy dating a girl or a girl with a guy, and the guy says, “I love you.” Well now, how is he using the word love? I can tell you pretty much how I think that he is using the word love. He is probably using the word love just like he is using it when he says, “I love ice cream,” and “I love the beach.” He looks at this girl and says, “I love you,” and what he means is, “I really like the way that you make me feel.” That is why, by the way, as soon as something goes wrong in the relationship and you are not getting good feelings from the relationship anymore, then you have statements like, “I don’t love her anymore” or “I don’t love him anymore.” These are translated as, “I don’t like her/him anymore. He/She is not making me feel good.”

It is very important for us to understand and get that the love of God is always expressed in giving. What are you giving out? What are you giving out into the relationship, out into the world, out to others, out to God? What are you giving forth? What are you giving up? What are you giving? On the other hand, liking is what are you taking. What is coming into you? A difference in direction occurs between love and like. In the love of God, the direction is out from you. In liking, the direction is in toward you. This is incredibly important because the love of God is expressed in actions not in feelings.

Let us go to the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus Christ gathers the people together, and he is talking to them.

Matthew 5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

Now wait a minute! Who would say that? Who would say love your neighbor and hate your enemy? Well, actually, the religious leaders would. We can document that the religious leaders of the time of Christ were saying it but it was not biblical doctrine. Many people think that what we are dealing with here is a change between the Old Testament and the New Testament, and the Old Testament said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy,” but now Christ is going to change that. That is not it at all. The Old Testament is also going to say love your enemies, which is where we are going to go in just a second. Christ is here saying:

Matthew 5:43 and 44 (43) “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ (44) But I tell you: Love your enemies

The word love here is agape . The question is, “How can I do that? I do not like the person. They have hurt my feelings. They have hurt me; they have hurt my family.” Maybe they have done a lot of other things too, and you say, “I don’t like the person; in fact, I have an intense dislike for the person. How can you command me to love this person?” Hey, that is a great question. It deserves a great answer. The key is in the word love. Remember, we had to unpack the word love, and we have four choices: agape , phileo , eros , and storge . The Greek word here is agape . Remember, agape love is expressed in giving; so how do you love your enemy? You do not love your enemy by going through all kinds of crazy mental gymnastics and trying to figure out how you are going to like him. That is not how you love your enemy. The way that you love your enemy is acting toward your enemy like God would act toward your enemy. Give to them; help them; pray for them. Let us look at the context, and this will come out to you.

Matthew 5:44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

That is loving your enemy. Some people say to me, “John, I don’t even feel like praying for him, but I do it anyway.” Praise the Lord, you are loving your enemy.

Matthew 5:44 and 45 (44) pray for those who persecute you, (45) that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.

And then Christ gives an example of what God does.

Matthew 5:45 He [God] causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

He gives them a chance. He meets their need. When Christ was saying love your enemy, did he have an example in the Old Testament that he could use that would anchor him in his teaching? The answer to that is, yes. Let’s go to Exodus 23:4. This is the Law of Moses. The Law of Moses is guiding people. The word Torah is instruction. I know sometimes that we say that the Torah is the law, but technically the word Torah means instruction. Other words can be found like Mitzvah that mean law, but Torah means instruction. In the Old Testament, in the five Books of Moses, we have instructions of how to live and how to get along with each other.

Exodus 23:4 “If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to take it back to him.

Imagine how this goes against your natural feeling. You have an enemy, and let us say in Old Testament culture that they live a couple of miles away. You are out farming one day, and you notice this ox just kind of walking across your pasture and out over the hillside. You recognize the ox, and you say, “I know, that is Bill’s ox.” You do not like Bill, and you’re thinking, “This is great! Bill is going to hunt for years to find that ox. In fact, I am going to go over there and smack it on the butt to make him go faster and get him out of here! Ha, ha, this is a great day!!!”

No, that is not what Scripture says. It says, you are to love your enemy; this is what you do. You go get this ox, and you take it back to Bill. You say, “But God, I am farming here. I am plowing. I am taking advantage of the good weather. I do not have a half a day to put a rope around this ox and take it all the way over to Bill’s place and drop it off. I do not like the guy anyway and he has treated me like dirt!” God says, “You know what, if you see your enemies ox or donkey wondering off, you go and you take it back to him.” That is love.

Today that might translate as you are driving down the road, and you see somebody that has caused you a lot of pain and a lot of problems, and you count that person as an enemy, and you see them on the side of the road with a flat tire struggling along. Well, you do not just go zooming by him 55 miles an hour and laugh out the window, “Ah-ha-ha!” No, you do not do that. You pull over, and see if you can help.

Does it say that you have to feel good about it? No, it does not. Ladies and gentlemen, that is the key to biblical love. You do not necessarily have to feel good. It is always wonderful if you can feel good about it, but you do not necessarily have to feel good about it. What you have to do is obey.

Exodus 23:5 If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help him with it.

Does that set a really clear picture of how to love people? How do we love our enemies? We help them out in godly ways. We pray for them. You do not have to do a bunch of mental gymnastics to make them into a friend, but if you are going to obey God, you have to make your sun shine on them just like God makes His sun shine on those that are His enemies. Absolutely, we do!

In learning more about love, let us look at 1 Corinthians. I think that we all probably know that this is the great chapter in Scripture on love, and it tells us a lot about love.

1 Corinthians 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

That is agape love. What does it mean? It means that if I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but I really do not obey God. I really do not do what God says. I just do things that make me happy, then I am really pretty empty.

1 Corinthians 13:2 If I have the gift [manifestations] of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries [sacred secrets] and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not [ agape ] love, I am nothing.

What is going on here? If I am not really obeying God, if that is really not where my heart is to obey God, then really what is the point of all of my acts of service? They are just men pleasing, or they are for self-aggrandizement. They are just to build me up, but they are not done because I really love God or that I want to obey God. They are done for some reason to make me look great or something along that line.

Look at verse four. Watch how love here expresses itself in action. Remember, the kind of mental picture that love is giving; love is what is going out from you. What is coming in to you is what you like, but what is going out from you that is where agape love lives.

1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient,

Okay, let us take a look at that. I could take a look at that because I am not the worlds most patient person. I get it that I am supposed to be more giving in patience. I tell you, I get in some of those grocery store lines, and the people are just chatting away and not checking out groceries and I get really challenged. But I know that love is patient, and if I will just give of myself instead of taking, then I will do better.

1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

Love says nice things about other people. It is not proud. It is not rude, after all, you are hardly being giving when you are rude.

1 Corinthians 13:5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

What is the point of a record of wrongs? Some people have this mental ledger of every time that they have been wronged. How in the world is that giving to others? It is just taking so that you have more ammunition to use the next time that you are in a war. We just have to let it go because love does not keep a record. God is our high tower, our shield, and our defense.

1 Corinthians 13:6 and 7 (6) Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. (7) It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Do you see the giving in this? Do you see how this shows that giving is outward?

1 John 4:20 If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar.

Can we be any plainer in our speech than that? I would say it is pretty plain! What does it mean if you say, “I love God,” yet you hate your brother, you are a liar? What does that mean? Well, first of all what does it mean to hate your brother? To hate your brother means to treat him badly. You know, biblically, hate is just like love. It expresses itself. It expresses itself into the physical world. If you are hating your brother, then you are aggressively doing things to make his life miserable. Absolutely, you are working to undermine. You are spreading rumors. You are sending nasty notes. You are messing up his life in this way or that way. The Bible says, “If you say that you love God, but you are doing that kind of thing to your brother, then the thing about loving God—you are a liar.”

God commands us to love [ agape ] our enemy. That means that we give to our enemy. Love is giving. It is going outward. By the way, not only are we loving our enemy, but we are loving those people around us. If you are in a relationship, a girl in a relationship with a guy or a guy in a relationship with a girl, and you are asking yourself, does he/she really love me, all you have to do is just ask, “What am I being given?” If the relationship is that he says that he loves me, but all he does is take, take, take, well what he really is saying is that I love you like he says “I love the beach.” He just really likes you and just wants to take from you. Similarly, if a guy is with a girl and she says, “I love you,” but all she does is take, take, take, it is the same thing.

You see, it is pretty easy to sort this thing all out once we know what love is. When God says that He loves you, you better believe that He is giving all kinds of things. Let us start with the fact that He gave His Son. He gives you the fullness of the spirit. He energizes the manifestations whenever you want to speak in tongues. He continually pours out revelation.

Now armed with this information ( agape love is giving), let us see if we can sort some things out in Scripture. Christ is saying:

John 14:15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command.

Sure that makes sense; of course, here comes Jesus, and he says for you to do something. You say, “Well, I love you Jesus, but I’m not doing that.” Well, how is that love? How is that giving of yourself—knowing that Jesus is the Son of God, and he never means you any harm and would always have your best interests at heart? You can see that God always has your best interests at heart. How do you love God? You love God by obeying. You give of yourself and obey God. Well, what if I do not feel like it? That is okay. You probably did not feel like pulling over to the side of the road and helping your enemy change a tire either. The guy in the Old Testament did not want to take Bill’s ox back to him. The love of God does not always mean that you want to do what God wants you to do.

We understand this as parents too. When my kids were little, I can remember when one of them, Sierra, was teething and I thought that I would never get another wink of sleep the rest of my life. She cried incessantly all night long for weeks at a time. We, as parents, stayed up with her and walked her back and forth and back and forth and back and forth and held her and comforted her. Did I really feel like it? No, I had to go to work the next day! I was absolutely dragging myself around for a couple of weeks. Do you know what? That is love! When I see mom’s that expend themselves for their kids, especially these mom’s who have a colicky baby or something like that, you can see the love in their life. Do they feel like staying up? No, they do not feel that way all the time.

A love is there that is expressed in giving. We express our love toward God by doing what He says. In verse 21, it is the same thing.

John 14:21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”

If you have the commands of God and obey them, you are the one who loves God. Now, this straightens out a lot of things because people come to you and say, “I really love God.”

Wonderful, you say, “How is your prayer life?” They say, “Oh well, I don’t have much of a prayer life. I don’t really feel comfortable praying too much, so I don’t really pray too much.” “Oh, well, where do you go to church?” “Oh, you know, I’ve never really like crowds and all of that—I just kind of stay away from church. I don’t really fellowship with other Christians.” “Well, okay, where do you send in any kind of giving or abundant sharing?” “Oh, you know, my life is pretty tight right now. I guess that I haven’t given in a long time. I just seem to always need everything that I have.” “Well, you must spend some time reading the Bible?” “No, no, I don’t like to read. I don’t read the Bible much.” “Well, certainly you must share your faith with others? You must tell other people about Jesus?” “No, no, my religion is pretty private. I’m not one of those guys that believe that you ought to be pushing your religion on anybody else. I don’t do that.”

About the time that you have gone through this kind of conversation, you have a fair reason to say, “Well excuse me, you told me that you love God. Exactly how do you do it? Because Scripture says that whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one that loves me.” John 14 continues with this:

John 14:23 and 24 (23) Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. (24) He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not My own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

This is all pretty plain! If you can look at your life honestly and figure out the bottom line is that you are not doing what God asks of you, then let us just be honest and say that you do not love God the way that you should. I am not saying that you do not love God at all. You know, only you can be the judge of that, but seriously folks, we have a God that has done a lot for us and He deserves a lot from us! He tells us to seek first the kingdom of God. That means obeying, so we do what God says. We do not make up excuses for not doing what God says and in the meanwhile try and cover our tracks and look really holy by saying that we love God. Our actions will define whether we love God or not. I do not care whether you paste I love God for wallpaper on every room in your house. If you are not doing what God asks, your words are hollow. Of course, we know that Christ loved the Father:

John 14:31 but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me. “Come now; let us leave.

Amen and amen to that. Christ did exactly what God said, so we know that Christ loved the Father. Now if we go to John 15:9, we will watch this develop a little bit. This is going to be real interesting.

John 15:9 and 10 (9) “As the Father has [ agape ] loved me, so have I [ agape ] loved you. Now remain in my love [ agape ]. (10) If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love [ agape ], just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

He then goes on:

John 15:12 and 13 (12) My command is this: Love each other as I have loved [ agape ] you. (13) Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Ah, now we have a change. The word friend is the word philos . You could translate it as beloved if you wanted, but it would kind of confuse the issue because the rest of the time in here the word love is agape . Now, we have a shift.

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends [his philos ].

Philos is the love between friends. Phileo love has a feeling connected with it. Please understand this, in the sense that phileo love usually has a feeling connected with it—a friendship is there. A bond that people feel is there when they like each other and are friends. When they get together, an upsurge and upwelling of warmth inside is present because you are with your friend. The word philos (friendship) carries a feeling, and in that sense phileo is more personal than agape .

You see, I can agape my enemy because if I see him with a flat tire in the rain. I can stop and help him out even if I do not want to do it, but I may have a hard time conjuring up some feeling of warmth when I do it. However, if I see my friend pulled over on the side of the road, I pull over willingly. Even though it is cold or wet, you get out and help. You may even give each other a hug. A feeling is there that you have when you are helping your friend ( philos ) with a flat tire that you do not have when you are helping your enemy with a flat tire.

When you are helping your enemy and your friend it is still agape love because in both cases it is obedience, but with your friend, phileo love is also present. A love between friends is there that is very deep. This is really important for you to understand.

When a person obeys God, then they become a friend of God. If you obey God and fellowship with God, you make Him into a friend. We do not just obey Him because we are afraid that He is going to punish us. We obey Him because of what He has done for us. We obey Him because of what we know that He will do for us. We obey Him because we see His love, His righteousness, and His justice. We develop a relationship and a friendship with God and God with us.

James 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend [ philos /beloved].

Abraham gave himself with a passion to do the work of God. How did God respond? Sure, God had agape love for Abraham, but it went deeper. Abraham became a friend of God. I do not know about you, but I want to be there. I want to be so close to God that when the rapture comes, I can look at God, and He can look at me, and I will know that we are friends. I just want that kind of relationship with God that is deeper than just a dispassionate obedience.

Let us go back to John 15 because that is what developed between Jesus and the Apostles. What developed between Jesus and the Apostles was more than just Jesus helping the Apostles because God said so, and it was obedience. A friendship was there because the Apostles started to give back of their lives to Jesus.

John 15:14 You are my friends [ philos ] if you do what I command.

Amen! As we obey God and do that over time, what happens is that we become friends. Christ said to his Apostles, “You are my friends. You have done what I have said to do.” He sent them out two and two into the cities. He told them to heal the sick, cleanse the leapers, and raise the dead. They did it, and they came back excited. They were committed for Christ. They stood with him through the persecutions and the problems; of course, they were scattered at the eve of his arrest, but they stuck with him. They were still around after he got up from the dead. Jesus is saying, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.”

John 15:15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends [ philos /beloved], for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

I think that is the relationship that we want with Christ—is it not? We want to be truly beloved.

In John 21, we have Jesus Christ after his resurrection. Now, I think that we are all familiar with the fact that when push came to shove in the high priest’s court yard, Peter denied Jesus Christ. Jesus looked right at him, knew exactly what happened—in fact Jesus prophesied it, before the rooster crows, you will deny me thrice. That prophecy ended up being given twice. Peter ended up denying Christ six times which you can see in some of the chronologies of the last week of Christ’s life. Peter had denied Christ. Christ knew it. Christ looked at Peter through the high priest’s window and Peter went out and wept bitterly.

Now we have Jesus raised from the dead. Jesus and Peter have a chance to talk, and they need to reconcile. They need to clear the air. Jesus has got fish.

John 21:11-15 (11) Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. (12) Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. (13) Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. (14) This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead. (15) When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter,

You can just see Jesus putting his arm around Simon Peter and taking him aside and saying, “Hey, you know, we have to go talk.”

John 21:15 “Simon son of John, do you truly love [ agape ] me more than these?”

The phrase more than these was not meaning more than the disciples. How could Jesus be asking Peter if Peter loved Jesus more than the other disciples loved Jesus? Peter did not know what the other disciples were thinking or what was in their heart. The fact is that Peter was the one that had said, “I’m going back to fishing.” Peter is out in the boat. Jesus Christ comes to Peter and says, “Do you agape me more than these fish?” Watch what happens.

John 21:15 “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love [ phileo ] you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Now, in verse 15 Jesus said, “Do you agape me,” and Peter says, “I phileo you.” What is going on here? What is going on here is the tension between agape and phileo . Agape is a love that you do when you do not even feel like doing it. You think that Jesus Christ wanted to go to the cross? You think it was the joy of his life hanging there? He prayed diligently three times, “LORD take this away.” Jesus Christ went to the cross when he did not want to because of the joy that was set before him and because he saw us. He saw what it would be like to have a family, to have resurrected believers living forever with him, so Christ did what he did not want to do.

When the chips were down and Peter had a chance in the high priest’s court to do something that he did not want to do by saying, “Yes, I know this Galilean,” he decided to make life easy for himself and say, “No, I don’t know the man.” Christ is saying here to Peter, “Look Peter, are you going to love me when you don’t feel like it? Are you going to pray when you don’t feel like praying? Are you going to give when you don’t feel like giving? Are you going to be there for me when you don’t feel like it, Peter? Are you going to agape me, Peter?”

Peter on the other hand feels his heart ripped out! Gosh, he was the man who went out and wept bitterly when Christ looked at him through the window. Peter is saying here, “Lord, you know that I phileo you.” What does Peter want? Peter wants that friendship again. He has missed that friendship. He has felt outside; he has felt alone. He wants to know that he is close again, so he says, “Lord, you know that I phileo you.” He wants back into the feeling, but Christ wants to know first if Peter is willing to do what is needed if he does not feel like it.

It goes on to say:

John 21:16-18 (16) Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love [ phileo ] you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” (17) The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love [ phileo ] me [Am I your friend?]?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love [ phileo ] me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love [ phileo ] you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. (18) I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”

Ladies and gentlemen, that is agape . When you are young, when you are new in the Word, when you are a young Christian, you kind of take life as it comes; you do what you want to with God. Some of the things of God are exciting, and you get involved. Some of the things of God you do not like. It is kind of a smorgasbord. You take what you like and leave what you do not. As you begin to grow in the Word and you begin to grow in your relationship with the Lord, you take the whole picture, and you obey God all the way, and God will sometimes take you where you do not want to go! That is as simple as it is. A lot of times in the Christian life, God will take you where you do not want to go. When you go there, that is agape !

Someone might say, “Well, if I am just obeying God without feeling, will I not just end up like a Pharisee?” No, you will not and for a couple of reasons. One is that as you obey God, if you’re really trying to obey God from the heart, you will have an intense love for God. Let us take a look at the Pharisees because I think that we need to examine that and get that question off the table.

Luke 11:37-42 (37) When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. (38) But the Pharisee, noticing that Jesus did not first wash before the meal, was surprised. (39) Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. (40) You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? (41) But give what is inside the dish to the poor, and everything will be clean for you. (42) “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, this is a snapshot into the heart of the Pharisee. What is going on with the Pharisees? Christ pegged it perfectly. He said that they are full of greed and wickedness. Why did they give a tenth of their garden herbs but neglect justice and the love of God? They did this because their hearts were not pure. This is something that we need to examine. What happens is that it looks on the outside that you are obeying God, but in reality all that you are trying to do is please men or make a reputation for yourself.

At this point, we need to take a look at Matthew 6 because this is a very important point. When we talk about the love of God as expressed in giving and obeying God, we need to give of ourselves and we need to do what God says, it is very important that we contextualize this properly. When we talk about doing what God says and obeying God, that does not mean so that men will recognize us. That is not obeying God. That is simply doing something to gain a reputation. If you are praying, but the only reason that you are praying is not to obey God but to get other people to think well of you, then you are not really obeying God are you? Christ of course deals with this on the Sermon on the Mountain.

Matthew 6:1 Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them.

That is the key. Why are you doing acts of righteousness? I am doing it so that men can see. Well, what happens then? You get cards and letters and emails. You get pats on the back, and people think that you are wonderful. People call you religious. You get smiles, and you get to be accepted, but really it is all self-serving. Remember that love is giving and like is taking. If the only reason that I am praying is so that I will get the praises of men, my prayer is not giving but taking. By definition then, it is not love. Does that make sense? I hope that it does.

Matthew 6:1 and 2 (1) “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. (2) “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. [That is taking!] I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.

They wanted to be honored by men, they were! That is what they wanted. That is what they got.

Matthew 6:3 and 4 (3) But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, (4) so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

You see, if you are keeping your giving to yourself, if you are keeping your acts of righteousness to yourself, if you are not blowing trumpets and announcing all the great things that you are doing, then it is pretty obvious that it is not so that you can get the praise of men because men are not finding out about it. He then says the same thing about prayer in verse five.

Matthew 6:5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men.

They are taking. They were seen by men so that is what they wanted, and that is what they got.

Matthew 6:5 and 6 (5) I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. (6) But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

See how we can unpack this and see what is love and what is not? It is very important to get this straight because what is happening here is that on the outside looking in, you may look at someone and say, “Wow, that person is really obedient; Wow, that person really does what God says. Look at that Pharisee giving a tenth of the entire garden. Boy, he counts every lettuce leaf.” Looking from the outside in, it can be hard to determine whether somebody is giving of themselves in love or whether in fact they are actually taking (meaning they just want to be seen by men and praised by men or even occasionally praised by themselves). Sometimes we do things so that we feel better about ourselves. We eventually want to get ourselves to the point that we do what we do because we love God.

That is where we are going next.

1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us.

The word love there both times is the word agape. We have agape love because God first loved us. I cannot emphasize this verse enough. Many times people feel hollow in their life or feel unloved by God. They may even doubt whether what they are doing is actually love or not. I would say that if you are having any of these problems, then focus on what God has done for you. It is not wrong or selfish to focus and meditate on what God has done for you. Think of a baby. You take two babies. One baby is in a family where it is really loved and cared for particularly as a baby and a small child. Its needs are met, and it is held a lot, and it is talked to, and it is handled gently and kindly. That child grows up well adjusted, and it grows up learning to give and learning to love. You have the second child that is treated very harshly and very, very mean. The parents are mean and cruel to it. That child will not grow up secure. That child will not grow up in love. The natural order of things is that we are mature and well adjusted and can love and can give of ourselves when we are secure in the fact that we are loved. It is very important to get this because it is hard to ask yourself to be loving if you have never been loved. If you have been raised in an environment where your whole life has been fight, fight, fight and people have been mean to you. People have been hard on you. People have been unfair to you. Life has treated you harshly, and you feel like you have to fight tooth and nail for everything that you have gotten. Think back over your life and try to remember if anybody just loved you and took care of you. I can tell you that when people are loved and taken care of that a warmth and inner knowingness, a feeling of security is there, and this becomes part of their life. It gives them a tower of strength in their heart that allows them to be loving. Scripture is so good about this! Look what it says.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is imperative that if we are going to be loving, then we have got to get how much God loves us. If you do not get that, then it is not wrong to stop whatever it is you are doing in your prayer life, your study life, your Bible life, your spiritual life, and say, “Lord, this is what I want to focus on. I want to think about it. I want to sing about it. I want to pray about it. I want to get it. I want to understand your love for me.” That is not selfish. You know the world will try to tell you that you are being selfish or self centered if you are thinking about how God loves you. It is a spiritual truth that works not only in the spiritual world but in the physical world. In our physical families, if you want somebody to be genuinely loving, they have to be loved first.

The first place that we have to be is honest about where we really are. It does not help anybody to lie and cover and pretend. The first thing that we have to be able to do is to say, “I’m struggling with this.” Talk about struggling with something, one of the verses that I struggled with for a long time in the Bible was the verse in Revelation 3:15. It is where the Lord is speaking to the church and he says, “I would that you be hot or cold and not lukewarm.” For a long time I thought why not? It sounds better to me to be lukewarm than to be cold. Why would Christ say that I would rather for you to be hot or be cold but not lukewarm? The answer is that if you are lukewarm, you are just comfortable where you are. You do not want to change. You do not want to make any changes. You do not want to go anywhere; however, if you are hot, hey, you are hot. You are fired up; you are rolling. You are going, good deal! If you are cold, you know it—“Lord, I don’t like you. I don’t understand this. I don’t feel loved. I don’t feel like loving anybody. I don’t feel like obeying.” You just lay it out there for the Lord. Let him know how you feel. He is not afraid of your questions, and he is not afraid of you. This is when you need to ask God, “I know that you sent your Son. I know that you make the sun rise on the just and unjust alike. I know that you made everlasting life available for all people. I know that you must love. Help me understand it.” Do you think a loving heavenly Father is going to ignore that kind of prayer? Not on your life is He going to do that.

We have got to get God’s love for us. When we get God’s love for us, all of a sudden, we will be able to better understand how we express His love toward other people, and then we can step up to the plate to be loving. As 1 Corinthians 13:5 says:

All of a sudden, being loving will not be so difficult because instead of setting love out there as a target—I have got to do this and that, we finally get that God loves us, and it is in our heart and in our life. All of sudden, we will then begin to reflect His nature. We feel so comfortable and warm being loved that we simply begin to reflect the nature of God.

2 Corinthians 3:17 and 18 (17) Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (18) And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

You see, as you look at Christ and focus on Christ, you reflect his glory and are transformed into his glory. Somebody in the world might say, “That is awful selfish. All you are doing is looking at the Lord for yourself.” Do you not get what it is doing? Is a little baby being selfish if it wants to be loved by its mom and dad? Look what is going on in the heart and the character of that baby while it is being genuinely loved. Look at the fortress of power that is being built-up, the security, the safety, and the feeling of all-rightness. We now want that from God. We want to feel alright. We want to feel loved. As we look toward the Lord Jesus Christ and as we look toward God and as we get their love for us, we are transformed. Just like this verse says, “Transformed into his likeness.”

It is not wrong to go to God and say, “Teach me how you love me.” You then let Him wash over you with His love and teach you how He is giving you everlasting life. How He will change your mortal body to be like Christ’s glorious body and how He sent His Son while we were still enemies [Romans 5].

Once we get that love, now, we are in a real position to go out and love others. We see one of our enemies, and he needs help, and we go over and help him when we do not feel like it. Hey, it is what God does! God does it all the time. It comes naturally because we know that we are going to bless our enemy and give him a chance to believe—give him a chance to be warmed by someone else’s love. Maybe he had never been loved. Maybe she has never been loved. The more that we love God, and the more that we are transformed into His image, then the less of a chore it is to do the things in Scripture that we do not want to do. All of a sudden, we will find ourselves praying not because the Bible says to pray, even though it is okay to pray just because the Bible says to pray. As we really get the fire and the love of God inside us, all of a sudden, I am not praying just because God says to pray. I pray because I like it a lot! I give myself to it, and it gives itself to me. I pray because God says so, and I pray because I see the good that it does in the world. I give because I see the value in giving and what it does for the world and how it enables the Church to be able to do wonderful things. I share my faith with others because I see how important everlasting life is, and what a privilege it is to have the chance to be able to live forever with God and with Jesus Christ.

You see, I am convinced that the more that we understand God’s love for us then the less of a chore it is to be obedient to God. That is not to say that times and occasions will not occur where we will need to be obedient to God simply because we need to be obedient to God. Just like Jesus said to Peter there on the beach in John 21:17, “When you are old [when you are mature in the faith] another is going to clothe you and take you where you do not want to go.”

Ladies and gentlemen, when the Lord Jesus takes you into those places where you do not want to go, you will go because you love, because love is giving.

God bless you!

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• Love Lives By Giving And Forgiving

11. Love Lives By Giving And Forgiving

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Understanding Love is Giving: An Introspective Journey

Love is often described as a feeling of warmth and tenderness, an emotion that brings people together. While this is true, I believe that love transcends beyond just a feeling; it is an action, a choice, and a commitment. Love is giving .

When we love someone, we give of ourselves in ways that are meaningful to the other person. We express our love through acts of kindness, generosity, and selflessness. Love and giving go hand-in-hand, and it is through our actions that we truly convey our love to others.

Love is not just about taking; it is about giving. It is about putting the needs of others before our own and showing them that they matter. Through our giving, we create deeper connections, build trust, and strengthen our relationships.

The language of giving in love is universal. It is not limited to material gifts or grand gestures. It can be as simple as lending a listening ear, offering a shoulder to cry on, or a warm embrace. It is about being present for the other person, choosing to support them even when it may not be convenient for us.

Key Takeaways:

The benefits of giving in love:, the power of giving in love, acknowledging the selflessness in love, the impact of giving in love, what is the meaning of “love is giving”, how does giving play a role in expressing love, why is giving considered a love language, how does giving contribute to deeper connections in relationships, is giving in love always selfless, can acts of giving in love be transformative, why is it important to embrace love’s language of giving, what is the significance of love as an act of giving, related posts:.

• Love is an action and a choice, not just a feeling.
• Giving is integral to love, and it is through our actions that we convey our love to others.
• The language of giving in love is universal and can be expressed in various ways, big or small.
• Giving in love fosters deeper connections, builds trust, and strengthens relationships.
• Choosing to support others through giving, even when it may not be convenient for us, is the epitome of selflessness and love.

Love as an Act of Giving: The Power of Generosity

Love that gives is the cornerstone of any successful relationship. It requires sacrifice, commitment, and an unwavering desire to put the needs of others above our own. Sacrifice is an essential part of the language of love. As we give of ourselves, we experience the transformative power of generosity, cultivating deeper connections and meaningful relationships.

“Love is not about what we get. Love is about what we give.” -Unknown

When we love, we give without the expectation of receiving anything in return. This selfless act of giving requires a level of vulnerability and trust that can be difficult to achieve. However, when we give selflessly, we create a bond that is unbreakable, one that sustains us through the ups and downs of life.

The power of giving in love cannot be overstated. It has the potential to transform even the most challenging relationships, bringing healing, forgiveness, and hope. When we give, we create a positive feedback loop, fostering a sense of mutual respect and trust that fuels our love for one another.

• Strengthening Relationships: Giving of ourselves strengthens the bond we share with our loved ones. It communicates the depth of our commitment and cultivates a sense of trust that is essential to any healthy relationship.
• Fostering Forgiveness: When we give selflessly, we open ourselves up to vulnerability, creating a space for forgiveness and healing.
• Cultivating Gratitude: The act of giving encourages us to focus on the positive aspects of our relationships, cultivating gratitude and a sense of appreciation for the people we love.

In conclusion, love that gives is the foundation of any successful relationship. It requires selflessness, sacrifice, and an unwavering desire to put the needs of others above our own. When we give of ourselves, we experience the transformative power of generosity, fostering deeper connections and meaningful relationships. Let us embrace the language of giving in love, acknowledging its profound impact and the potential it holds to transform our lives.

Conclusion: Embracing Love’s Language of Giving

Throughout this article, I have explored the profound meaning of “love is giving” and how acts of giving are integral to love. I have discussed the concepts of love and generosity , the selfless nature of love, and the role of giving in expressing love.

As we conclude, it is essential to emphasize the importance of embracing love’s language of giving. Giving in love is not about material things, but rather, it is about giving of oneself. It involves making a conscious effort to understand the needs of those we love and responding with selfless actions.

The act of giving in love has a transformative power that goes beyond material possessions. It fosters deeper connections, creates meaningful memories, and strengthens relationships. Giving in love is not a one-time event but a continuous process of showing appreciation, care, and affection.

Love as an act of giving requires selflessness. It involves putting others’ needs before our own and being willing to make sacrifices for the sake of love. The selflessness in love translates to a willingness to listen, empathize, support, and encourage those we love.

Giving in love has a significant impact on relationships. It creates a sense of emotional connection and fosters a feeling of appreciation and gratitude. Relationships built on mutual giving and selflessness are more likely to withstand the test of time and overcome challenges.

In conclusion, embracing love’s language of giving is essential in developing meaningful relationships. Love as an act of giving involves selflessness, sacrifice, and continuous effort to show appreciation, care, and affection. Let us strive to embrace the power of giving in love and create lasting memories and connections with those we love.

“Love is giving” refers to the idea that true love involves acts of selflessness and generosity towards the person you love. It emphasizes the importance of putting the needs and well-being of your partner above your own.

Giving is a fundamental way to express love. Through acts of giving, such as thoughtful gestures, acts of service, or gifts, we show our love and care for the other person. Giving allows us to demonstrate our affection and create a stronger emotional bond.

Giving is considered a love language because it is a way that some individuals prefer to give and receive love. For those who resonate with the love language of giving , it is a primary way for them to feel loved and to express love to others.

Giving in relationships fosters deeper connections by creating a sense of trust, understanding, and appreciation between partners. When acts of giving are reciprocated and appreciated, it strengthens the bond and enhances the overall satisfaction and happiness in the relationship.

Yes, giving in love is often selfless, as it involves putting the needs and happiness of your partner first. Selflessness in giving means prioritizing the well-being of your loved one without expecting anything in return.

Yes, acts of giving in love have the power to be transformative. They can deepen emotional connections, increase intimacy, and create a more fulfilling and harmonious relationship. The act of giving can also lead to personal growth and a greater understanding of oneself and others.

Embracing love’s language of giving is important because it allows for the cultivation of strong and meaningful relationships. It helps to create a cycle of love and generosity that can positively impact our own well-being and the happiness of those we love.

Love as an act of giving holds immense significance as it embodies the essence of true, unconditional love. It represents a willingness to sacrifice, to put others’ needs first, and to express affection and care through selfless actions. Love as an act of giving has the power to transform relationships and bring joy and fulfillment to both the giver and the recipient.

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• Feb 14, 2022

The Relationship of Love and Forgiving

Love and forgiveness go hand in hand. Forgiveness is love, and love is forgiving. When we are able to forgive others, it opens up our hearts and allows us to experience divine love more fully. This love is all-encompassing, and it can heal any wound that we may have. In this blog post, we will explore the relationship between love and forgiving, and how they both play an important role in our lives. We will also discuss the importance of divine love in our lives, and how it can help us to overcome any obstacle that we may face.

Love and forgiveness

Forgiving is love and love is forgiveness. Forgiveness opens up our hearts and allows us to experience divine love more fully. This love can heal any wound whether we may have created it or others did, but the love does not take away what has been done to us. It simply releases us from the pain. Divine love encompasses all; there are no borders for this love, no limit, nor boundaries. The importance of divine love in our lives is that it can help overcome any obstacle that we may face in life because nothing will be supported over this divine love such as fear or anything else that might bring pain into your heart.

Divine love and forgiveness go hand in hand. They are two aspects of the same energy that can help us to heal and move forward in our lives. When we are able to forgive others, it allows us to fully comprehend love and experience it more deeply. This love is limitless, and it has the power to heal any injury we may have.

Is forgiveness a sign of weakness?

Some may think that forgiveness is a sign of weakness, but in reality, it takes strength and courage to forgive. Forgiveness is the act of releasing someone from their debt or obligation. It doesn't mean that we condone what they have done, but rather that we are choosing to let go of the resentment and anger that we may be feeling. When we forgive others, it sets us free and allows us to move on with our lives. It also allows us to experience love more fully. Forgiveness takes strength and courage because it requires us to face our feelings head-on and to let go of the past. It can be difficult to forgive those who have hurt us, but ultimately, it is worth it because it allows us to move on and experience love more deeply.

It takes bravery to forgive someone who has hurt us, and when we do, it sets us free. Forgiveness allows us to move on with our lives and to experience love more fully. When we are able to forgive others, it opens up our hearts and frees us of the baggage that we may be carrying. The more we devote ourselves to loving others, the greater our capacity for love becomes.

How to forgive

There are a few things that you can do in order to forgive someone:

Make a list of the things that the person did to hurt you. It is very helpful when you list out the things that the person did, as it can help you to stay focused on what you need to forgive. Keep in mind that forgiveness is not about condoning the hurtful act, but rather freeing yourself from the negative emotions that are associated with it. So even if you don't feel like forgiving the person right away, simply focus on forgiving the act, rather than the person. This is especially important when you have been hurt by someone close to you, such as a family member or partner. It can be difficult to forgive them for hurting us intentionally, but it's crucial that we do our best to let go of the resentment and anger that we feel. There is a lesson in the experience, lean in and examine what is the lesson.

Try to understand why the person did what they did. Put yourself in the other person's shoes and try to see things from their perspective. This isn't always easy, but it can help you to understand why they acted the way they did. Once you have a better understanding of why the person hurt you, you may find that it becomes easier to forgive them. After all, if we can't even understand why somebody hurts us, it's going to be difficult to forgive them. It's also important to remember that the person who hurt you is not perfect, and they may have their own issues that led them to act in a harmful way. When we can see the other person as being human, it becomes easier to forgive them for their mistakes. In addition, this person is an agreed-upon antagonist in your play. Once again what is the lesson that both you and the other person what to experience through this transaction?

Forgive the person, even if they don't apologize. Give freely and unconditionally. This is one of the most important aspects of forgiveness – forgiving someone even if they don't apologize or acknowledge the hurt that they caused. It can be difficult to do this, especially if we feel like the person doesn't deserve our forgiveness, but it's an essential step on the road to realizing and revealing the learned lesson. When we forgive someone without them asking for it, it shows that we are truly ready to let go of the past and move on. Forgiveness is love. The divine love that covers us and the relationship of love and forgiving. Forgiving someone doesn't mean you have to forget what they did or excuse their behavior. It means freeing yourself from the negative emotions that weigh you down. When we can do that, we are able to move on and discover the love that lies within us.

Move on with your life. It is important that you don't dwell on the hurt that was caused by the person. This doesn't mean that you forget about it, but rather that you find ways to move on with your life and focus on the positive things that are happening in your life. It can be helpful to journal about your experience of forgiving someone, as this can help you to process what happened. It can also be helpful to talk to a therapist or trusted friend about what you're going through. When we find ways to express our feelings, it becomes easier to move on with our lives.

When to forgive

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the decision to forgive someone will be different for everyone. However, there are a few factors that can help you decide whether or not you're ready to forgive someone:

The severity of the hurt. If the person hurt you very badly, it may take some time for you to feel ready to forgive them. It's important to be patient and give yourself the time that you need in order to heal. You also need to learn to forgive yourself.

The relationship between you and the person. If you have a close relationship with the person who hurt you, it may be more difficult to forgive them. However, it's important to remember that forgiving someone doesn't mean that you have to continue to associate with the person.

Pray that love will enter your heart for that person. It is important to remember that love is the most powerful force in the universe. When we pray for love to enter our hearts, it can help us to open up and forgive the person who hurt us. Ask for guidance and healing from God and be open to the possibility of forgiveness.

Forgiveness is one of the most powerful tools we have in our arsenal as humans. It has the ability to heal relationships, mend wounds, and free us from the chains of anger and resentment. However, it’s not always easy to forgive. In fact, sometimes it feels downright impossible. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. If you’re struggling with forgiveness – whether you find it hard to forgive yourself or others – please reach out for help. Talk to a friend, family member, therapist, or any other trusted source. The important thing is to keep talking until you find a way to open your heart and let go of the hurt. Reach out to us - we can help you work through your feelings and come to a place of understanding and healing. When you choose to forgive, you open yourself up to receive God's love more fully in your life.

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Love is giving and forgiving

“As long as we dont forgive the people who have hurt us, they occupy a rent-free space in our mind.” Thus says one of my friends.

I, however, think, feel, and believe that it is not just a matter of letting them occupy a rent-free space, but also exhausting our energies to entertain them. How foolishly silly and idiotic thing to do?!?

The message is clear: Love is giving and forgiving, and Love is the Only Solution. Love is also not indifferent, Love is full of empathy. Love expresses itself through the acts of sharing and caring.

I love you, friends…

From  Anand Krishna’s Facebook , 23 February 2012

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The Power to Love and Forgive

• December 3, 2021

When I was dating Steve, I read about “the five love languages,” a concept I thought would be a major key to a happy marriage. In a book by the same name , the author says we communicate, and interpret, love in different ways. The broad categories he lists are gifts, acts of service, quality time, words of affirmation, and physical touch. I figured if I could learn what best communicated love to Steve, and let him know what best communicated love to me, we could spend a happy marriage becoming fluent in the other’s “love language.”

My major dialect is gifts. Nothing says “I love you” like an unexpected box artfully wrapped! When Steve gave gifts to me, I felt loved. And when he emptied the dishwasher — an act of service — I felt like he was emptying the dishwasher. Early on, this was a help to understanding what was most meaningful to the other, and what wasn’t. To borrow from another book ( His Needs, Her Needs ) when he gave me gifts, he was making deposits in my love bank, and when I gave him my undivided attention (quality time), I was building a balance in his. All was well.

Until we didn’t remember to make deposits or speak the right language. Which was often. Especially once we had a baby. It was a lot harder to maintain our hand-crafted romance with a child depending on us and giving us nothing in return for our efforts. I would come into a new day utterly depleted from a sleepless night of feedings and need Steve to love me (sleep deprived, un-showered, short-tempered, postpartum). And he would need me (sleep deprived, un-showered, short-tempered, postpartum) to give him my full attention and physical affection with kindness. At this point, we realized we needed resources beyond love languages and bank balances. We had nothing to give the other — which left us with nothing to get from the other. It was a vicious cycle.

From Taking to Giving

What happens when you don’t want to love? When your will, which is strong, pulls you in the opposite direction? Where does the ability, the desire, the power to love the unlovable come from?

Obedience Plus

Ephesians 4:31-32 says, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Later Paul writes, “be imitators of God … and walk in love, as Christ loved us” (Ephesians 5:1). Romans 5:8 says, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Love and forgiveness go together.

We tend to think, based on all that we absorb in our daily life in a fallen world, that love is mostly a feeling that is expressed primarily in erotic ways. Sexual intimacy is an expression of love in marriage, but marital love is infinitely more. And satisfying sexual intimacy flows from true love; love that is sacrificial, and above all, forgiving. When we recognize God’s love for us, and our hopeless situation apart from His love, we can begin to truly love another.

Luke 7:36-50 recounts “a woman of the city, who was a sinner,” who anointed Jesus’ feet while he dined at a Pharisee’s house, wetting His feet with her tears and wiping them with her hair. When those at the table were offended by her actions, Jesus said, “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” He was helping them to understand their own cold hearts toward Him. “You did not anoint my head with oil,” Jesus said to those at the table, “but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

We who are the children of God are that woman. We are the sinners who have been forgiven much. We owed God an infinite debt we could never repay. Yet He made a way for our debt to be cancelled, for our sins to be forgiven. How then can we not forgive much? How can we not love much? When I start my day thinking about what God has done for me in Christ, when I preach the Gospel to myself again, I’m reminded of the debt I owe. In view of my own great sin and God’s great act of rescue and forgiveness, it’s much easier to extend love and forgiveness to Steve, even when I don’t feel like loving and when he doesn’t seem lovable.

Professor and author Owen Strachan describes the reality of life within marriage. He says, “As sinners living together under the same roof, husband and wife will annoy one another, hurt one another, and fail to edify one another as they should. Sin and its baggage are not only possible, but inevitable for even the godliest couple. If we pretend otherwise, if we act as if we can bat 1.000 all the time, if we plaster smiles on our faces and project the image of perfection, then we lie to ourselves and to others. Most significantly, we lie to God, who knows the depth of our fallenness and who is justly offended by our sin.” In view of this, Strachan says there is one key to unlocking the door to a healthy marriage: “humble repentance.”

The way we do that is by first remembering that we have been forgiven much.

Colossians 3:12-13 urges us to “[p]ut on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” We are commanded to forgive. In view of all that God has forgiven us, how can we do anything else?

The Christian has been forgiven for the greatest of offenses. He has been forgiven for knowingly, purposely and unrepentantly transgressing the Law of God. And yet we are often slow to forgive our fellow man for the smallest of transgressions. Even the biggest of the sins committed against us are as nothing compared to how we sinned against God. God does not honor this attitude. In Mark 11:25 Jesus says, “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” Our ongoing assurance of pardon before the Father is in some way dependent on our willingness to forgive others.

The Cross is Everything

We must forgive one another as we have been forgiven. This is required of all believers, not just those who are married to each other. Which is good news, because forgiveness is required of all of us, whatever our marital status. If you’re not yet married, you can practice the forgiveness that is an essential mark of Christian marriage and one of the key ingredients of a happy home. The more we practice forgiveness before marriage, the better able we’ll be to forgive in marriage, where forgiveness should be the defining characteristic of our unions. Why? Because Christian marriage was designed by God to refer to, or be a picture of, Christ and the church. Meditating on Christ’s sacrificial love, on what He has forgiven you at the price of His own life, is the key to forgiveness in marriage.

Steve still gives me gifts, knowing how much I appreciate them, and I still work to carve out uninterrupted, undistracted quality time with him, knowing what it means to him. But those aren’t the primary things that fuel our love for one another. The fundamental source of our loving and forgiving relationship is Christ’s love for us. I used to think that when my love bank was getting low on funds, I needed to let Steve know so he could fill it. Now when I feel in need of a deposit, I go to the Father, as His beloved child, to be filled from His infinite supply.

Copyright 2013 Candice Watters. All rights reserved.

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About the author.

Candice Watters is the editor of FighterVerses.com , a weekly devotional blog helping believers fight the fight of faith by memorizing Scripture. She is the author of Get Married: What Women Can Do to Help it Happen . In 1998, she and her husband, Steve, founded Boundless.

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Before You Write a Love Essay, Read This to Get Examples

The day will come when you can’t escape the fate of all students: You will have to write a what is love essay.

No worries:

Here you’ll find tons of love essay topics and examples. No time to read everything? Scroll down to get a free PDF with original samples.

Definition: Essay on Love

First, let’s define what is love essay?

The most common topics are:

• Definition of love
• What is love?
• Meaning of love

Why limit yourself to these hackneyed, general themes? Below, I’ll show how to make your paper on love original yet relevant to the prompt you get from teachers.

Love Essay Topics: 20 Ideas to Choose for Your Paper

Your essay on love and relationship doesn’t have to be super official and unemotional. It’s ok to share reflections and personal opinions when writing about romance.

Often, students get a general task to write an essay on love. It means they can choose a theme and a title for their paper. If that’s your case,  feel free to try any of these love essay topics:

• Exploring the impact of love on individuals and relationships.
• Love in the digital age: Navigating romance in a tech world.
• Is there any essence and significance in unconditional love?
• Love as a universal language: Connecting hearts across cultures.
• Biochemistry of love: Exploring the process.
• Love vs. passion vs. obsession.
• How love helps cope with heartbreak and grief.
• The art of loving. How we breed intimacy and trust.
• The science behind attraction and attachment.
• How love and relationships shape our identity and help with self-discovery.
• Love and vulnerability: How to embrace emotional openness.
• Romance is more complex than most think: Passion, intimacy, and commitment explained.
• Love as empathy: Building sympathetic connections in a cruel world.
• Evolution of love. How people described it throughout history.
• The role of love in mental and emotional well-being.
• Love as a tool to look and find purpose in life.
• Welcoming diversity in relations through love and acceptance.
• Love vs. friendship: The intersection of platonic and romantic bonds.
• The choices we make and challenges we overcome for those we love.
• Love and forgiveness: How its power heals wounds and strengthens bonds.

Love Essay Examples: Choose Your Sample for Inspiration

Essays about love are usually standard, 5-paragraph papers students write in college:

• One paragraph is for an introduction, with a hook and a thesis statement
• Three are for a body, with arguments or descriptions
• One last passage is for a conclusion, with a thesis restatement and final thoughts

Below are the ready-made samples to consider. They’ll help you see what an essay about love with an introduction, body, and conclusion looks like.

What is love essay: 250 words

Lao Tzu once said, “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” Indeed, love can transform individuals, relationships, and our world.

A word of immense depth and countless interpretations, love has always fascinated philosophers, poets, and ordinary individuals. This  emotion breaks boundaries and has a super power to change lives. But what is love, actually?

It’s a force we feel in countless ways. It is the warm embrace of a parent, filled with care and unwavering support. It is the gentle touch of a lover, sparking a flame that ignites passion and desire. Love is the kind words of a friend, offering solace and understanding in times of need. It is the selfless acts of compassion and empathy that bind humanity together.

Love is not confined to romantic relationships alone. It is found in the family bonds, the connections we forge with friends, and even the compassion we extend to strangers. Love is a thread that weaves through the fabric of our lives, enriching and nourishing our souls.

However, love is not without its complexities. It can be both euphoric and agonizing, uplifting and devastating. Love requires vulnerability, trust, and the willingness to embrace joy and pain. It is a delicate balance between passion and compassion, independence and interdependence.

Finally, the essence of love may be elusive to define with mere words. It is an experience that surpasses language and logic, encompassing a spectrum of emotions and actions. Love is a profound connection that unites us all, reminding us of our shared humanity and the capacity for boundless compassion.

What is love essay: 500 words

A 500-word essay on why I love you

Trying to encapsulate why I love you in a mere 500 words is impossible. My love for you goes beyond the confines of language, transcending words and dwelling in the realm of emotions, connections, and shared experiences. Nevertheless, I shall endeavor to express the depth and breadth of my affection for you.

First and foremost, I love you for who you are. You possess a unique blend of qualities and characteristics that captivate my heart and mind. Your kindness and compassion touch the lives of those around you, and I am grateful to be the recipient of your unwavering care and understanding. Your intelligence and wit constantly challenge me to grow and learn, stimulating my mind and enriching our conversations. You have a beautiful spirit that radiates warmth and joy, and I am drawn to your vibrant energy.

I love the way you make me feel. When I am with you, I feel a sense of comfort and security that allows me to be my true self. Your presence envelops me in a cocoon of love and acceptance, where I can express my thoughts, fears, and dreams without fear of judgment. Your support and encouragement inspire me to pursue my passions and overcome obstacles. With you by my side, I feel empowered to face the world, knowing I have a partner who believes in me.

I love the memories we have created together. From the laughter-filled moments of shared adventures to the quiet and intimate conversations, every memory is etched in my heart. Whether exploring new places, indulging in our favorite activities, or simply enjoying each other’s company in comfortable silence, each experience reinforces our bond. Our shared memories serve as a foundation for our relationship, a testament to the depth of our connection and the love that binds us.

I love your quirks and imperfections. Your true essence shines through these unique aspects! Your little traits make me smile and remind me of the beautiful individual you are. I love how you wrinkle your nose when you laugh, become lost in thought when reading a book, and even sing off-key in the shower. These imperfections make you human, relatable, and utterly lovable.

I love the future we envision together. We support each other’s goals, cheering one another on as we navigate the path toward our dreams. The thought of building a life together, creating a home filled with love and shared experiences, fills my heart with anticipation and excitement. The future we imagine is one that I am eager to explore with you by my side.

In conclusion, the reasons why I love you are as vast and varied as the universe itself. It is a love that defies logic and surpasses the limitations of language. From the depths of my being, I love you for the person you are, the way you make me feel, the memories we cherish, your quirks and imperfections, and the future we envision together. My love for you is boundless, unconditional, and everlasting.

A 5-paragraph essay about love

I’ve gathered all the samples (and a few bonus ones) in one PDF. It’s free to download. So, you can keep it at hand when the time comes to write a love essay.

Ready to Write Your Essay About Love?

Now that you know the definition of a love essay and have many topic ideas, it’s time to write your A-worthy paper! Here go the steps:

• Check all the examples of what is love essay from this post.
• Choose the topic and angle that fits your prompt best.
• Write your original and inspiring story.

Any questions left? Our writers are all ears. Please don’t hesitate to ask!

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Essay on Forgiveness

Students are often asked to write an essay on Forgiveness in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Forgiveness

Understanding forgiveness.

Forgiveness is when we stop feeling anger towards someone who has done something wrong to us. It’s like letting go of a heavy burden.

The Power of Forgiveness

When we forgive, we feel lighter and happier. It helps us to move on and not dwell on past hurts.

Forgiveness and Relationships

Forgiveness strengthens our relationships. It helps us to understand and accept others, despite their mistakes.

Learning to Forgive

Forgiving is not easy, but it’s important. We can learn to forgive by understanding that everyone makes mistakes.

Also check:

• Paragraph on Forgiveness
• Speech on Forgiveness

250 Words Essay on Forgiveness

Introduction.

Forgiveness, a virtue often preached yet seldom practiced, is the act of pardoning an offender. It is a complex psychological phenomenon that involves an intricate interplay between emotions, cognition, and actions.

The Significance of Forgiveness

The importance of forgiveness lies in its ability to release the negative emotions of anger, resentment, and the desire for retribution. This cathartic process promotes emotional well-being, reducing stress, and enhancing interpersonal relationships. It is a testament to human resilience and our capacity for empathy and compassion.

The Psychology of Forgiveness

From a psychological perspective, forgiveness is a conscious, deliberate decision to relinquish feelings of resentment or vengeance. This process involves a cognitive shift, a change in one’s attitude towards the offender, and a willingness to let go of negative emotions. It does not necessarily mean forgetting the offense or reconciling with the offender, but rather, it is about finding inner peace and moving on.

Forgiveness as a Social Construct

Sociologically, forgiveness is a social construct that helps maintain social harmony. It promotes reconciliation and prevents the perpetuation of a cycle of revenge and hostility. In this sense, forgiveness is an essential component of social cohesion and stability.

In conclusion, forgiveness is a powerful tool for personal growth and social harmony. It is a testament to human strength, resilience, and our capacity for empathy. The decision to forgive is a journey towards inner peace, one that requires courage, humility, and a profound understanding of the human condition.

500 Words Essay on Forgiveness

Forgiveness is a multifaceted concept, deeply embedded in human interactions and fundamental to the continuity of social relationships. It is a conscious decision to let go of resentment or vengeance towards an individual or group who has harmed us, regardless of whether they deserve our forgiveness.

The act of forgiveness is a psychological process that involves a change in emotion and attitude towards an offender. It is a voluntary and deliberate act that requires effort and emotional resilience. The process is often complex, involving feelings of hurt, anger, and betrayal. However, it also opens the door to healing, peace, and the possibility of reconciliation.

Psychologists suggest that forgiveness can be a transformative process that promotes mental health, reduces anxiety, and enhances our well-being. It is a coping strategy that allows us to deal with interpersonal conflicts and emotional injuries. By forgiving, we free ourselves from the chains of bitterness, enabling us to move forward without the burden of past hurts.

The Philosophy of Forgiveness

Philosophically, forgiveness is seen as a virtue, an act of grace and compassion. It is a moral decision to absolve another of their wrongdoings, not out of obligation, but out of understanding and empathy. This perspective emphasizes the ethical dimension of forgiveness, viewing it as a moral duty or obligation.

However, forgiveness does not mean forgetting or condoning the wrongdoings. It does not eliminate the need for justice or accountability. Instead, it allows us to separate the person from their actions, acknowledging the harm done while choosing to let go of the resentment it has caused.

Forgiveness in Practice

Practicing forgiveness requires a high degree of emotional intelligence and maturity. It begins with acknowledging the hurt and allowing oneself to feel the pain. The next step is to empathize with the offender, trying to understand their perspective. This is followed by making a conscious decision to forgive, which often involves a verbal or mental declaration of forgiveness.

Forgiveness is a personal journey and there is no right or wrong way to go about it. It can be a slow and challenging process, but it also brings about personal growth and emotional liberation.

In conclusion, forgiveness is a powerful tool for personal and social transformation. It is a complex process that involves a conscious decision to let go of resentment and anger. While it can be challenging, the benefits of forgiveness extend beyond the individual to the broader community, promoting peace, reconciliation, and social harmony. Ultimately, forgiveness is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and its capacity for compassion, understanding, and love.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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• Essay on Food
• Essay on Feminism

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Posted on: Mar 26, 2016

Love lives by Giving and Forgiving Self lives by Getting and Forgetting - Sri Sathya Sai Baba

‘Observing SaiLent Through Giving and Forgiving’ – A Sadhana From Monday, March 28 to Wednesday, April 27, 2016

He said His life is His message. Yet, He delivered His most compelling lesson in His passage from the finite to the infinite.

Through the month leading to Bhagawan's Maha Samadhi on April 24, 2011, He chose to take upon Himself the miseries of the human condition, the silent suffering of mother nature, the colossal contamination of our planet and other unimaginable cosmic issues that defy human comprehension, thus delivering the ultimate lesson in sacrifice that can be well described as ‘Giving and Forgiving’.

As a silent offering on this sombre occasion, the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations, India and the Sri Sathya Sai International Organisation are observing the period Monday, 28th March to Wednesday, April 27, 2016 as a month of ‘Giving and Forgiving’.

The same period in 2011 united us in prayer and pain, and now, the multi-million strong Sai family in India and around the globe will be observing it as a month of contemplation, prayers and expansion of consciousness through acts of selfless service at individual and Samithi /Sai centre levels. Let us recognise the Sai within and without in every atom that surrounds us... in both the beauty and fury of nature, in its every element and in every being in our contact and beyond.

United in Purpose

Let 'Giving and Forgiving' be our sadhana, our ‘SaiLent’ during these days... let us specifically set aside time for deliberation, introspection, contemplation and meditation on the divinity within, around and without.

Let this period be marked by a deep inner and outer silence, to strengthen our devotion for the Lord, and thus purify ourselves to becoming His befitting instruments of love, harmony, tolerance, understanding... through our practice of ‘Giving and Forgiving’.

If the epochal event of April 24th, 2011 jolted us with its momentous impact on the destiny of humanity, today, it warrants a united effort by each of us to intensify our intention and pray with deeper longing, for more unconditional love in our hearts, and share the same with others, in our thoughts, words and actions. 'Giving and Forgiving' unconditionally is an ideal route to achieve this.

When we pray and practice 'Giving and Forgiving' with sincerity and fervour, His message will resonate and encircle the earth and all its beings. Let our acts of kindness include our winged, finned and four-legged fellow inhabitants of our planet and Mother Earth herself.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, come let us join and participate whole-heartedly in this offering of 'Giving and Forgiving' at individual, family, samithi and Sai centre levels.

Here are some suggestions you may wish to embrace:

• At Individual/Family level Prayers: • For inner and outer purification chant 'Aum Sri Sai Ram' 108 times (or more) daily. • For universal peace and harmony chant ' Samasta Loka Sukhino Bhavantu ' 11 times (or more) daily and end with Om Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:
• Acts of Kindness: • Place bowl(s) of water or bird baths on balcony, verandah, or outside and a fistful of grains or bird feeders for birds and animals. • Carry an extra bottle of drinking water to share with a thirsty person. • Put aside rice grains for Narayana Seva daily. • Highlight Bhagawan's messages in a tasteful and respectful manner with appropriate audiences/groups.
• Contemplation: • Read Sai literature daily. • Talk less and meditate and/or spend quiet time with nature more often. • Download Radio Sai app and tune in as often as possible - especially while traveling.
• At Samithi & Sai Centre level: • Invite and encourage Bal Vikas , SSE students and families to participate in the chantings and service activities. • Encourage Youth Wing to lead the chanting and create awareness of ‘Giving and Forgiving’ month. • Every active member to participate in chants. • Cook food from the grains collected from individual devotees and conduct Narayana Seva . • Local Water Projects can extend to cleaning of local tanks, lakes and rivers. • Tree planting, treatment of decaying trees. • Enhanced village seva . • Awareness programs in slums regarding hygiene, caring for public property, nature, respect for women and the girl child. • Adopting needy family for rations/clothing, daily needs, milk, education for children etc. • If you are an animal lover, caring for an animal or bird or both and more. • Conduct one weekly talk of 5-7 minutes before public bhajans on the importance of ‘Giving and Forgiving’. • Highlight Bhagawan's universal messages in a tasteful and respectful manner in appropriate public places.

Every moment of His life held out a million lessons for us, but none as strong as those of the month leading to His Maha Samadhi . Let us express our gratitude to our Dear Lord Sai with the power of the message that He demonstrated through that agonising period - ‘Love Lives By Giving and Forgiving’.

Let us make ‘Giving and Forgiving’ our life mantra and let us begin now - during this very poignant and sacred period of March 28 - April 27, 2016.

Letter from Dr. Narendranath Reddy, Chairman, Prasanthi Council

- Radio Sai Team

What do you think about this initiative? Please let us know by writing in to  [email protected]  or you may leave your thoughts in the comments section. Do not forget to mention your name and country.

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Essay On Love Is Giving And Forgiving in English in 100 Words 

Love is a profound emotion that embodies the virtues of giving and forgiving. It's an act of selflessness and compassion, where one's focus shifts from the self to the happiness and well-being of another. Giving, in the context of love, refers to sharing one's time, energy, and resources without expecting anything in return.

Similarly, forgiveness is a crucial aspect of love, allowing for the acceptance of imperfections and mistakes. True love thrives on understanding, patience, and the willingness to let go of grudges. In essence, love is a bond that flourishes when we give generously and forgive wholeheartedly, fostering deeper connections and harmony.

Essay On Love Is Giving And Forgiving in English in 200 Words 

Essay on love is giving and forgiving in english in 300 words , essay on love is giving and forgiving in english in 400 words , essay on love is giving and forgiving in english in 500 words .

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Forgiveness — An Importance of Forgiveness

How I Understand The Importance of Forgiveness

• Categories: Forgiveness

About this sample

Words: 2185 |

11 min read

Published: Jul 30, 2019

Words: 2185 | Pages: 5 | 11 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, why is it important to forgive (essay), works cited.

• Braithwaite, J. (1990). Reintegrative shaming and restitution. In M. Tonry & N. Morris (Eds.), Crime and justice: An annual review of research, (Vol. 12, pp. 1-41). University of Chicago Press.
• Enright, R. D. (2015). Forgiveness is a choice: A step-by-step process for resolving anger and restoring hope. American Psychological Association.
• Exline, J. J., Baumeister, R. F., Zell, A. L., Kraft, A. J., & Witvliet, C. V. (2008). Not so innocent: Does seeing one's own capability for wrongdoing predict forgiveness?. Journal of personality and social psychology, 94(3), 495–515.
• Gandhi, M. (1958). The essence of Hinduism. Asia Publishing House.
• Hofmann, W., & Gómez, R. (2014). Yes, forgiveness requires time: A longitudinal study. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 5(5), 548–555.
• McCullough, M. E., Root, L. M., & Cohen, A. D. (2006). Writing about the benefits of an interpersonal transgression facilitates forgiveness. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 74(5), 887–897.
• Paleari, F. G., Regalia, C., & Fincham, F. D. (2005). Marital quality, forgiveness, and jealousy: A cross-cultural comparison between Italy and the United States. Journal of Marriage and Family, 67(4), 956–965.
• Pollard, E. L., & Finkel, E. J. (2011). The effects of forgiveness and focus on revenge on emotional and physiological responses to an interpersonal insult. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 47(6), 1203–1208.
• Strelan, P., & Covic, T. (2006). A review of forgiveness process models and a coping framework to guide future research. Journal of social and clinical psychology, 25(10), 1059–1085.
• Worthington Jr, E. L., Sandage, S. J., & Berry, J. W. (2000). Group interventions to promote forgiveness: What researchers and clinicians ought to know. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 4(1), 58–69.

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5 5 Forgiveness and love

• Published: August 2012
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What is the relationship between forgiveness and love? Both in everyday conversation and in the theoretical literature on forgiveness, it is commonly suggested that the two are closely related. However, the precise nature of this relationship is puzzling. This chapter attempts to clarify the nature of the connection between forgiveness and love. It begins by sketching an account of love and defending it from objections raised by Ebels-Duggan, Frankfurt, Hurka, and Velleman. This account of love, together with the account of forgiveness developed in the book’s opening chapters, are combined to illuminate the relationship between forgiveness and love.

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Forgiveness Essay

• Author Kimberly Ball
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Disclaimer: This paper has been submitted by a student. This is not a sample of the work written by professional academic writers.

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Topic: Why is forgiveness important

Throughout your life, you will have to forgive people. Often times, forgiveness can be difficult. A wise man once declared, “Holding a grudge does not make you strong; it makes you bitter. Forgiving does not make you weak; it sets you free.” Forgiving others allow you to overcome your anger, to heal spiritual wounds, and to be set free.

First, forgiving others allows you to overcome your anger. If you hold a situation against someone, you begin to also hold a grudge. This is also known as bitterness. Bitterness builds up over time and eventually, you become a negative form of yourself. Anger is not something you should hold in. It’s proven that anger is more than just an emotion, it has physiological effects on you.

Secondly, forgiving allows you to heal spiritual wounds. Matthew 6:14-15 “ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Once you forgive others, our Father in Heaven will forgive you. Healing spiritual wounds will allow you to grow closer to Jesus and your family in Christ. With spiritual wounds, you will never be fully whole.

Last, forgiving simply sets you free. Forgiving others will allow weight to come off your shoulders. When you do not forgive, a bad feeling exists inside of you. It makes you feel hatred. One element of life is loving everyone, you cannot do this until you forgive. You have to be a blessing. With bitterness in your thoughts and mind, you cannot do this.

Overall, you will have to forgive people every day. Everyone makes mistakes. You should forgive people as fast as you would want them to forgive you. Forgiving gives you the chance to overcome your anger, to heal your spiritual wounds, and to set you free. Forgiveness is the key to life.

Explain why it is important to forgive

The Freedom of Forgiveness

It is very important to forgive others. Forgiveness means to forget someone’s bad deed or mistake. Life becomes easier when you learn to accept an apology you never received. You react to someone else’s mistake can be vital to your life and the lives of the others around you. Avoiding forgiveness can leave frustration in your heart and destroy your personality. You must learn to forgive others and yourself. It is very important to forgive.

First of all, it is important to react in the right way to someone else’s mistake. When you act in a response to an act or mistake, it could cause damage to good and bad sides. Fighting or taking revenge will only make a situation worse and it also means that you would commit a bad deed as well. If you do not fight or take revenge, but choose to forgive, you are at a higher place than the other person. By acting mature and not fighting or taking revenge, you will not damage your self-respect. Also, there will be peace between you and the other person because you both acted in a mature way. It is important to react in the right way to someone else’s mistake.

Secondly, it is important to forgive because avoiding forgiveness causes frustration in your heart and destroys your personality. If you forgive someone, you will feel better about yourself. Your heart and your mind will become more relaxed because you have peace in knowing that you do not have to be angry with anyone. In history, war broke out because countries could not forgive each other. If you simply learn to forgive, your mind and heart will be at peace instead of at war. Forgiveness is very important.

Lastly, forgiveness is important to you and the people around you. If you do not find forgiveness in yourself, others can become victims of your ego and revenge. If you are too prideful to forgive someone, you need to change your mindset. If someone does you wrong, you must treat everyone in a kind way because it is not their fault. If you don’t forgive yourself, you can’t forgive others. Forgiveness is very important to you and the people around you.

In conclusion, it is very important to forgive others. It is important to react in the right way to someone else’s mistake. It is important to never avoid forgiveness. Also, the way you react to forgiveness will affect you and the people around you. It is very important to forgive others.

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When I was growing up we had a mirror in our bathroom. It said…

Love is giving and forgiving

It was from the 1970’s Kim Casali Love is… comic.  I would see it every day for years and it always made me smile.  I wish my parents had kept it because I would love to have it now.

Although as a child I couldn’t fully comprehend it’s meaning,  I think being in a relationship with my husband for nearly 25 years means I kind of get it now!

Giving her the extra inch of the duvet so she stays warm, and

Forgiving him when he snores like a freight train.

Giving him the extra dollop of mash potato, and

Forgiving her when she doesn’t share the chocolate.

Giving her flowers for no reason other than you love her, and

Forgiving him when he forgets to book a table for your wedding anniversary.

Giving him the remote so he can watch the football, and

Forgiving her for talking all the way through it.

Giving her a hug because she looks like she has had a bad day, and

Forgiving him when he doesn’t notice you have had your hair done.

Giving him a lay in when he did the night shift with the baby, and

Forgiving her when she falls asleep mid conversation that evening.

Giving her your extra warm hoody to wear when she is cold, and

Forgiving him when he leaves a tissue in his pocket and it goes through the wash.

Giving him the time to play a round of golf, and

Forgiving her when her retail therapy goes over budget.

Giving her your hand to hold when you’re watching a scary movie, and

Forgiving him when an hour later he jumps out at you and scares you silly.

Giving each other the time to always be heard, and

Forgiving each other if sometimes you say something you didn’t mean.

Giving her a look across a crowded room to make sure she is ok, and

Forgiving him when you want to go home but he’s STILL talking.

Love is…

Giving her a cup of tea in bed, and

Forgiving him when he forgets to take the bins out.

Giving him a note to say how much you love him and that he has a cute bum, and

Forgiving her when she tells your boss your childhood nickname.

For the husband on our 13th wedding anniversary.  I love you.

You can still buy items from the Love is… range now, although the vintage ones are quite expensive.  I will always keep my eye out for a Love is giving and forgiving mirror.

(Affilliate link)

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Love this! So true! I found your blog via the #bibs shortlist – good luck!

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Hi, I’m Claire.

Have you ever been wedged in the rollers at soft play?  Whispered all the swears when your kid got the nits? Gritted your teeth when your tween gives you the side eye? You, my friend, are not alone.

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