This week I'm taking one last look at "Love" as part of my, "Fruit Of The Spirit" series. So far we've looked at Agape, Eros and Phileo love. This month we focus on Storge, familial love.
Galatians 5:22-25
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
Fruit Of Focus- Love (Storge)Galatians 5:22-25
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
"Gracious Father, Gentle Saviour, Lord You have been good to me.
Jesus, You have saved my soul and called me to a life that’s free!
Help me Lord, to serve Your people. Keep my heart in check, I pray.
Since I now live by the Spirit, may I walk in step each day.
Make my life a useful story, let it please my God above.
May I bear the Spirit’s fruit! Help me show Your Storge love.
Love that seeks to honour family, such a love cannot be priced,
Whether joined through birth and blood or family through the blood of Christ.
Help me show this love in action, give me patience, Lord I pray.
May I seek out unity and guard the bond we have, each day.
Let this love serve true as witness, let it sing and testify.
May my conduct shine for You and praise Your name, my God on High!"
Romans 12:10
“Be devoted to one another in love.
Honour one another above yourselves.”
Food For Thought
The Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon defines Storge love as,
“Cherishing one’s kindred, especially parents or children; the mutual love of parents and children and wives and husbands; loving affection; prone to love; loving tenderly; chiefly of the reciprocal tenderness of parents and children.”
As with the word Eros, which we looked at back in February, the Greek word Storge doesn’t actually appear in the Bible. The concept of familial love is taught many times throughout Scripture, however and a compound form of Storge can be found in Romans 12:10 which I put at the end of the poem.
We looked at this verse in March when we focused on Phileo love. This is because the Greek word in this verse can be read as “Philostorgos” which puts together “Philos” and “Storge.” Combined, the word creates the idea of “loving dearly, being devoted to and loving in a way characteristic of the relationship between parent and child, brother and sister etc.”
Last month, we looked at how this kind of familial love is the type of love Paul exhorts us to have for our friends within the family of Christ. As Christians, we enter into the family of God as soon as we commit our heart to the Lord. By the power of the blood of Jesus, we’re related and connected to one another as a family and so God calls us to love one another with a deep, protective and affectionate familial love.
Many examples of familial love can be found within Scripture. We can read about Ruth’s love for her mother-in-law, Naomi, the love Jacob had for his sons and the powerful love sisters Mary and Martha had for their brother, Lazarus, to name just a few. We can also read where the opposite form of Storge is used in Scripture. “Astorgos” means “without love, devoid of affection, hard-hearted and unfeeling.” Romans 1:31 describes the unrighteous as, “undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful.”
The original word here for “unloving” was “Astorgos.”
Again, in 2 Timothy 3:3 we read about the disobedient generation living in the last days. The verse reads, “unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good.” Once more, “unloving” is translated “Astorgos,” making it clear that a lack of Storge, the natural love among family members, is a sign of end times.
The family unit was a vital part of ancient Jewish culture and we even see in the Fifth Commandment that God charges His people to, “Honour your father and mother.”
Scripture makes it clear that a healthy, loving family unit is precious and important for both society and for the individual.
Questions For Personal Reflection
Have I personally experienced the joy of becoming a member of God’s family? If not, is there someone I can reach out to in order to help me with this? If I am a child of God, how has being a part of God’s family been a benefit to my life? Are there people who have been influential and helpful in my life by extending God’s familial love to me? Have I thanked God and them, personally for their efforts?
Do I have biological family I can thank God for today? Are there members of my family who I need to make an extra effort to extend God’s love to? Is there a situation in my life right now where I can seek unity and peace within my family? How can I be a blessing to the family of God this week?
