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Relationship
Aayushi Kapoor March 17th, 2024 · 4min read

Agape Love: Meaning, Purpose, Characteristics,Examples, And More

Have you ever thought of a kind of love that is unconditional or selfless…? Well, we all love our partner unconditionally… but the love I am talking about is beyond physical intimacy, it is more focused on passion, kindness, empathy, and special. I am directing you to agape love!

You might have heard about agape love in the bible… in this blog, we will be taking a brief look at agape love from the perspective of modern relationships, examples, how to cultivate agape love, and more. So, let’s get started! 

What is Agape Love? 

Agape love is one type of love that is more about “giving as good as you get.” In the Bible, agape love is mentioned as the highest form of love, it is the kind of love full of empathy, love, kindness, and action.

It is beyond the desire for good, it revolves around keeping pure intentions for someone, wanting the best for love, and most importantly it is anticipated for everyone. It is the kind of love that means making sacrifices for other’s wellness. 

As simple as it sounds, it is very challenging to cultivate agape love in our regular lives. This kind of loving needs a lot of mental strength, empathy, kindness, and giving away things that mean everything to you! This kind of love requires us to act in the best interest of others. 

In short, agape love is all about showing understanding and empathy, to extend grace, especially in those moments when it’s hardest to give! 

Agape Love in the Bible

  • Agape love is pronounced as “ah-gah-pay.”
  • Agape love is not about physical attraction, but it’s a love of abundance.
  • In the Bible, Agape love is also directed towards charity wherein the word “charity” is not only limited to money or other things but is about being concerned about other’s good.
  • Agape love requires sacrifice, commitment, and faithfulness without expecting anything.

Characteristics of Agape Love

Below listed are some of the characteristics or traits of agape love: 

  • Agape love is a special and unique type of love filled with kindness and being concerned about other’s good or acting in the best interest of others. 
  • Agape love is an unconditional type of love that doesn’t keep any expectations from others. This kind of love does not require reciprocation but kindness and empathy towards everyone. 
  • Agape love requires sacrifices, especially in those moments when it’s hard to give. It is a kind of selfless love that only sees good for others. 
  • Agape love is not about physical attraction, arrogance, bigheadedness, envy, or holding grudges. The cultivation of agape love requires a lot of patience. 

Examples of Agape Love 

  • Treating your spouse with respect or kindness. 
  • Making moms feel seen or appreciated. 
  • Treating all animals with kindness. 
  • Treating everyone with love and respect. 
  • Understanding everyone’s feelings or emotions empathetically. 

Related: Narcissist And Empath Relationship: Interesting Differences in Personality

How to Grow Agape Love in this Modern World? 

Practice the below-listed strategies to develop agape love: 

1. Follow the “Pay It Forward” rule.

The “Pay it forward” rule is quite simple, which means whenever someone does something for you, don’t pay them back directly, instead do the needful and pass it on to other people instead. Herein, I am not talking about monetary things, instead I am referring to kindness, empathy, respect, or love you receive from people. This kind of rule doesn’t require expectations but it requires a sacrificial quality to develop from within. 

2. Treat everyone with kindness and empathy.

Do you know kindness or empathy is contagious? The more you spread, the more you develop, and the more you receive! When you start treating everyone with kindness and empathy, you not only make the world a better place but also indirectly teach such powerful things to the world which are the most needed things in today’s world. 

3. Develop generosity towards everyone.

Treat everyone with openhandedness, be it your parents, siblings, teachers, co-workers, or anyone you pass by! For example, suppose you encounter an old couple facing challenges in a grocery store, you can help them in making payments or managing their stuff. Such small gestures help in cultivating agape love. 

4. Make some strong commitments within. 

The cultivation of agape love begins within, therefore, make some strong commitments within and start your day with positive self-affirmations so that you can maintain your energy, motivation, and kindness levels throughout the day and spread agape love unconditionally! 

I hope this blog helps you understand everything you want to know about agape love. Comment down and share your views on “agape love in a relationship.” 

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 Thanks for reading! 

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