FIVE DIMENSIONS OF LOVE
FIVE DIMENSIONS OF LOVE
By Bisi Adewale
To sustain a marriage, there are five major phases of love that must be involved. Without these, no marriage will truly last. They are:
- Passion. It is known as EROS in Greek. It is sexual love, completely romantic and erotic in nature. It has been completely misappropriated by the singles today. It is called LUST but it is needful in marriage for a couple to enjoy their sexual life. When passion is not in a marriage, the sex life dries up. And the moment sex becomes uninteresting; the union may head for the rock.
- Emotion. It is known as PHILEO. It is love based on feelings and affections for each other. It is what most people mean when they say they are in love but it is different from agape. While agape is unconditional, phileo is a love that thrives on feelings and easily dies when the climate is not right. It is also needed in marriage.
- Attraction. It is a sense of acceptance of how somebody looks or he does. It can also be called infatuation. It is common among singles, especially teenagers.
It is also needed in marriage. There should be deep attraction between the husband and his wife that will keep them together till one of them dies. When attraction dies, it affects passion and emotion, thereby affecting the marriage.
Couples should deliberately create attraction and women should dress neatly to win the admiration of their husbands. Attraction helps emotion and sustains passion. It should be guided jealously.
- Agape love. This is the real love. It is also called compassion. It is divine. It speaks of God’s love. It is love for somebody that does not deserve it; it is unconditional and offered with no string attached. It is not based on feelings, sex, or attraction.
It is a giving love, a sacrificial one. You need it to connect your spouse even when feelings are long dead in marriage. You may not have feelings every day, yet stay in love in marriage.
- Storage. This is love based on family ties and blood relations. This is the love that exists among family members. You need it in marriage because blood is thicker than water. It also helps in preventing divorce in marriage.
