Teaching your child to love like Jesus can mean reading through scripture to learn about the different kinds of love. Read to learn other ways to discuss biblical love.
Why Teach Our Children about Biblical Love
In society, love as a word and action is often oversimplified or misused. Understanding the biblical concept of love in its various forms can deeply enrich your children’s spiritual growth and relationships.
Helping your children understand that love isn’t just a feeling but a multi-faceted expression of God’s character allows them to become better equipped to:
- Develop deeper relationships with God and others
- Navigate different types of relationships
- Understand God’s love for them more fully
- Make wise choices in different types of relationships
- Show Christ-like love to others
The Four Types of Love in Scripture
Love is mentioned in the Bible hundreds and hundreds of times. While it’s not the most used word in the Bible, love is a key theme and a driving principle that we see throughout scripture. So how do you teach your child about biblical love?
Start by looking at the different types of love we see in scripture:
Agape: Unconditional, Perfect Love
Agape is the highest form of love described in scripture—God’s perfect, unconditional love for humanity. This love led God to give us His only son (John 3:16) and led Jesus to sacrifice Himself for our sins (Romans 5:8). Agape encompasses sacrifice, selflessness, and unconditional love shown to others and goes beyond a feeling as it is an action and commitment.
You can see this love exhibited throughout scripture:
- Loving our enemies (Matthew 5:43-46)
- The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)
- The Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:13)
Philia: Friendship or Brotherly Love
Philia represents the deep bonds of friendship and love between the body of Christ. Mutual care and loyalty are at the heart of this type of love.
Examples of philia in the scripture include:
- David and Jonathan’s friendship (1 Samuel 18:1-3)
- The early church’s fellowship (Acts 2:42-47)
- Jesus’ friendship with His disciples (John 15:13-15)
Storge: Familial Love
Storge is the natural affection found in families. It’s the instinctive love parents have for their children and the bonds between family members. While the word storge is not explicitly mentioned in the scripture, the opposite of the word (astoragos) is used in Romans and 2 Timothy.
We also see many examples of familial love throughout scripture, including:
- Mary’s love for Jesus
- Ruth’s devotion to Naomi (Ruth 1:16-17)
- Mary and Martha’s love for Lazarus
Eros: Romantic Love
Eros represents the love between spouses, designed by God to be expressed within marriage. While the term eros isn’t directly used in the Bible, this type of love is evident in the scripture, as shown through Isaac and Rebekah’s relationship (Genesis 24-27) and throughout Song of Solomon.
Teaching Kids to Love Like Jesus
Through the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus tells us that loving our neighbors means caring for others who may pass by, looking past societal differences, and going out of our way for others without expectation of reciprocation. And, when asked what the most important commandment is, Jesus said it was to first love “God with all your heart,” soul, mind, and strength and second to love “your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:30-31).
In addition to discussing the types of love shown throughout the Bible and the lives of those in scripture, you can teach children about biblical love by living out that love and:
- Sharing stories about when you’ve felt or shown love.
- Discussing how you and your spouse met and fell in love.
- Creating activities that point to the characteristics of Godly love.
- Looking for opportunities to talk about you and your child’s need for unconditional love and forgiveness.
- Praying for others, including those with whom your child may have had a disagreement.
- Affirming them when they show love or kindness unprompted.
- Modeling love and grace to your child even when offering them correction.
- Singing worship songs together that focus on God’s heart and His kindness toward us.
- Encouraging them to show God their love through actions and obedience.
- Setting aside time to complete acts of kindness for loved ones and strangers alike.
Looking for specific ways to explore the different kinds of love? Download our FREE, printable love-centered activity guide, Cover the World with Love.
