We have looked at companionship and passionate kinds of love but genuine love is something totally different. This is the selfless kind of love. A person with genuine love looks for ways to add to the other person and not avenues to take from the person.
This is the kind of love that motivates a lover to help his/her spouse reach their true potential without necessarily expecting anything in return. The ultimate example of genuine love is detailed in the New Testament of the Bible in John 3:16 when God gave His only begotten son to die for the sins of the world because of the love He has for us.
Another example of genuine love is the love a parent has for a child. A parent genuinely in love with a child loves the child regardless of his appearance, his height, her shape, her looks, how he makes them feel. The love comes from deep down and its unwavering. This is the kind of love that is a commitment.
Most importantly, genuine love has no qualifications. It doesn’t say “I’ll be your friend if you will be mine”, nor does it say “I want to be your boyfriend because you make me happy”, nor, “I want to be your girlfriend because you take good care of me”. This love does not seek to gain but only to give. This kind of love always thinks about the other person.
I believe only genuine love provides the adequate foundation for a secure relationship. If a relationship lacks genuine love, it will most likely deteriorate. One of the most exciting virtues of genuine love is that it can be developed within your character without the help of affectionate feelings.
Test: If someone asks you why you love your partner, what would your response be?
If you answer something like “I love her because she is kind hearted, sweet, tall, attractive with a fine body” then you have a companionship love for your partner.
If your answer goes in this light, “I love him because he turns me on all the time, he makes me feel like a woman, he makes me realize what I have been missing, he makes me lose my senses whenever we are together” then you have passionate love for your partner.
If your answer sounds something like. “I love her for who she is”, “I love him because I see so much potential in her”, “I love her because I want to make him a better man” then you have genuine love for your partner.
Remember, companionship love is good but it needs genuine love to be better.
Passionate love is also good for a relationship but it also needs genuine love to stand the test of time. Genuine love is good enough to keep a relationship afloat but it needs a sprinkle of companionship and passionate love to make it worthwhile.
