Love Misinterpreted!

Do you realise in today’s world the general understanding of love is limited to gratification, infatuation, lust, transaction, sympathy, ritual etc.? Unfortunately, love has become the most misunderstood word. In a family relationship, love is usually translated to responsibility, obligation, doing the daily chores and submissiveness. Likewise in every relationship it has filtered thin to either obligation or transaction.

Greeks recognized several distinct types of love, and while they had many terms, these four are the most commonly cited fundamental categories. They distinguished between these types rather than using one generic word.

Storge - Familial Love 

Instinctive, natural affection, typically between parents and children, or family members.

Philia/Phileo - Friendship Love 

Affectionate friendship or brotherly love, often between equals.

Eros - Romantic/Passionate Love

Passionate longing, desire, or intense physical attraction.

Agape - Unconditional/Sacrificial Love 

The highest form of love—selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional love. 

Amazing categorization, isn’t it?  Let me provide the excerpt from the Bible in 1 Corinthians 13: 3-8 where love is beautifully described. 

“If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails…” 

Love is always non-transactional. In spiritual realm, prayer is the expression of love, not otherwise. In today’s world where prayer feels like obligation or performative, Christianity’s original model was surprisingly simple: Prayer was never meant to impress. It was meant to connect; a relationship between father and child, in other words it is a result of love. Nick Hinton puts it so beautifully, “God is not strict as we think. We have it all backwards. All the fasting, prostrations and prayers aren’t necessarily getting us closer to God. They are byproduct of loving Him and wanting to spend all our time with Him. If they are not done out of love, they are vain.”

Today, everything is brought down to performance and self-gratification. Even religious obligations sometimes are so burdensome. Most of the time it is about fulfilling and trying to complete the task. Love is not in the puzzle at all. Your good works, duties can still be done devoid of love. 

You need a God who is not only powerful but an expression of love. Jesus’s powerful statement which says, “There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends.” John 15:13 Bible. In the story of Jesus, He never regulated laws, obligation and performance but emphasized on love. Jesus demonstrated it by His greatest sacrifice for the sins of mankind and made a way to reach God. 

Good deeds are not atonement for sin before a holy God. Scripture says even our righteous acts fall short (Isaiah 64:6 Bible). We do not need a better list of actions. We need a Savior. Jesus Christ did what no act of charity ever could. He bore sin, satisfied God’s justice, and offers forgiveness by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9 Bible). In the Bible it is beautifully narrated about Christ love, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8 Bible) And then in the same book of Romans 5:5 it states, “…God’s love has been poured out into our hearts.”. When you are filled with His divine love, life becomes transformative and sublime. You can get to know Him by downloading a digital Bible and starting to read the New Testament.

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So, you think you are smart!

Smartness is not cunningness, manipulation, or using people to our advantage. There is a fundamental difference between true intelligence and exploitation of others. True intelligence is the glow of the genuineness and integrity of the heart. True intelligence is not merely intellectual capacity but rather a reflection of authenticity, moral integrity, and a good heart. It suggests that genuine wisdom involves an inner light—a "glow"—that emerges when a person acts with honesty and kindness, rather than selfishness or deception. There is a thin line between smartness and cunningness. A person who makes a quick effort to achieve a goal is called smart, but if he/she pretends to hide his/her real intentions and deceives, it is called cunning.

Human race is becoming dangerous and manipulative. You can document it for generations. Our own loved ones can be manipulative and selfish. The author of the book of Psalms in the Bible cries to God with these words, “Help Lord, for no faithful one remains; the loyal have disappeared from the human race.” Each one has selfish agendas. You can be with your closed ones and still be unaware of their personal agenda until it raises its ugly hood someday.  The Bible states “The Lord looks down from heaven on the human race, to see if there is one who is wise, one who seeks God. All have turned away; all alike have become corrupt. There is no one who does good not even one.”. That’s who we are my friends.

You cannot live a dichotomous life. Jesus in His discourse with people clarifies. “Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.". Jesus makes a strong judgement when people pose good and continue to emerge as evil.

Con Mum (2025) is a Netflix documentary detailing the true story of Graham Hornigold, a British pastry chef defrauded of nearly £300,000 by his long-estranged biological mother, Dionne Marie Hanna. Hanna faked terminal cancer and claimed to be a wealthy heiress, manipulating her son to fund a lavish lifestyle. She was later charged with multiple fraud counts. Seriously? Yes! There are so many incidents of parents defrauding and deceiving their kids, stories of children manipulating their parents and loved ones hurting each other deeply. Often it is all rooted in greed. 

Everything is a matter of the heart. And man’s heart is wicked and deceptive. Knowingly or even inadvertently our heart constantly schemes evil. The heart often tricks the individual, causing them to justify wicked choices, ignore blind spots, or convince themselves that they are doing right, when they are not. You need a new heart that is god-fearing, sensitive and honest. A complete physical heat transplantation will not achieve this but a 360-degree transformation of a sinful heart. A holy God, Christ Jesus, addressed the problem of sin in human race by His sacrifice on the cross and His death and resurrection. All you need to do is to surrender to Him for help. You cannot forfeit your soul because you have become comfortable with the pattern you developed. Confess your sins, receive forgiveness and be transformed. 

 

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The best source of inspiration!

Every day over 160000 people cease to exist globally. And all have their own way of doing the last rites based on their personal belief system and religion they belong to. I was recently part of one such last rite of my good friend who passed away very young  leaving his wife and children. While I was sitting at the cemetery and witnessing the last prayer meeting, floods of thoughts were gushing through my mind reminding me the destiny of man. It is a scary thought but a hardcore reality. Visiting the house of grieving over the loss of the loved ones is one of the best inspirations one can get.  You are reminded of your frailty and your destiny. 

G K Chesterton powerful quote, “Meaninglessness does not come from being weary of pain. Meaninglessness comes from being weary of pleasure.”. While you suffer or witness people suffer it helps you to contemplate on life meaningfully.  "It is better to be in the house of mourning" is a proverb from Ecclesiastes 7:2 Bible, that encourages choosing reflection over shallow pleasure. It highlights that facing the reality of death, rather than ignoring it, provides wisdom, perspective, and a serious consideration of life’s brevity and meaning. 

The house of mourning (a funeral or place of grief) is superior to a house of feasting (party) because it forces us to acknowledge our mortality. Sorrow is described as better than laughter because it "sharpens your understanding" and corrects the heart, reminding us to live wisely rather than chasing empty pleasure. The phrase notes that "death is the destiny of everyone," and acknowledging this helps the living appreciate life and focus on what truly matters. Visiting the bereaved offers a time for deep thought, allowing people to live more intentionally, whereas constant merrymaking can lead to folly.  The passage does not promote being unhappy but rather emphasizes that the sobering perspective gained from experiencing loss is more valuable for character and wisdom than constant, fleeting fun.

Christians hope in Christ. Death is not the ultimate reality because Jesus made a strong statement which says, “…because I live, you will live also".  The history witnessing the nature of birth, life, death and the resurrection endorses that Jesus is not just an ordinary man He is a savior. Celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. Paul in His epistles in the Bible states, "O death, where is your sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:55 Bible) expressing victory over death through Jesus Christ. It signifies that for believers, death has lost its terror, power, and finality because sin (the "sting") has been conquered through resurrection. There can be many religious theories of life, but believing in Jesus can a give a transformative view. 

The Bible cites, “Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” You have a hope to live for eternity and most importantly to be part of the kingdom of God (Heaven) with Him for eternity. This is not a religious paradigm. The only qualification is to have our sins forgiven. Jesus came to forgive our sins and make us free from the bondage of sins and any wrongdoings and to live with Him for eternity. According to Romans 10:9-10 Bible, if you confess with your mouth that "Jesus is Lord" and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. This act combines sincere inner conviction (heart) with public declaration (mouth), focusing on faith rather than earning salvation through works.

  

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Flash thoughts!

We all experience flippant thought, imaginations which are picturesque. Some are pleasing and enriching while others conjure up unpleasant memories. These sudden, gushing, and picturesque thoughts are known in psychology as spontaneous thoughts or involuntary mental imagery. They are a normal part of cognitive processing, where the brain generates random, unbidden, and often intense images—ranging from pleasant, creative daydreams to disturbing, unwanted memories.

Cognitive psychologists observe that the brain is constantly running in the background, making connections between smells, sounds, or emotions, and your memories. Some minds are more prone to fixating on thoughts, acting like a "hamster wheel" that repeats the same thought. It just doesn’t stop there, many experience sudden, unwanted, or "dirty" thoughts—along with unwanted, distressing memories—are a universal human experience often referred to in psychology as intrusive thoughts. According to research, approximately 93% of people report having at least one intrusive thought over a 3-month period. These thoughts, which can range from bizarre or a taboo to violent or sexual, often in direct conflict with a person’s values, character, and desires. Sometimes these thoughts are born of morbid curiosity. While driving along a winding mountain highway, suddenly we imagine what would happen if we jerked the wheel to the right. Other times, such thoughts arise from our sinful hearts. 

According to the “sticky mind” theory the brain often fixates on thoughts it deems unacceptable, causing them to repeat. High levels of stress, anxiety, or lack of sleep can increase the frequency of these thoughts, as the brain’s ability to suppress them is compromised. The positive suggestions are good to try but usually it is not a long-lasting solution. We are all tired at some point, and our mind is constantly easing it through alternative thoughts and experience. But this is not the end of the explanation. 

Our minds are a battleground. We often tend to fight spiritual wars where we are held captive by the evil one and our minds are under its control. Apostle Paul writes in the Bible, “We demolish…every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.” This is only possible when you ask God for His help to fight any negative unwanted thoughts. Jesus was holy and immaculate.  When we worship Him and learn about Him our life changes to be like Him and seek what is right. Apostle Paul reminds us that it’s not enough to destroy false thinking—we have to form healthy imaginations too: “Brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Bible). It’s also important to replace our negative reels with the truths God declares about us. We can echo back to Him gratitude for who He’s remade us to be in Christ. Your struggle with these negative flash thoughts will be won over for good.

 

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Invisible yet true!

 

There are many things in life that we don’t see exist yet believe. Some are obscure but we feel their effects. There are the abstracts like love, sympathy, kindness, of which we see the effects and experience it. Belief in God is similar. People worship deities either based on the stories that exist or based on the records of real powerful people who were seen as God.

We sort our troubles through our efforts and money. We have reserve funds and insurance policies to see us through difficult times that might arise. There is a pleasure in solving our problems and moving on. But there may be occasions when difficulty overwhelm us, and we drown as it were under that pressure. Seasons like those are rare. Its these occasions that reveal our frail human security, and we find ourselves exposed when all help is exhausted.

It’s in these moments of helplessness that we turn to our family religion, to the god as our last resort. We cling on to the words of religious scripture and visit our places of worship clinging to our God for dear life. We now want to connect with something we don’t see and hope for some supernatural miracle. If things work, we give credit to God and oblige our commitments in the form of offerings and gifts to the place or places of worship.

However, there is one God who said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29 Bible). It is Jesus Christ. He existed on earth around 4 -6 BC and lived approximately till AD 30-33 fulfilling many prophecies that were made regarding a Messiah, the nature of His birth, death and resurrection 700-900 years before His existence. His resurrection made history and Christians during this month celebrated a unique event, the Easter. While He lived, He gave hope to people about life, life after death, i.e. eternity. Your faith in God will change the course of your life with hope and certainty. Jesus promised His Holy spirit to dwell in the heart of man which means you don’t have to talk to a figure made of Him or His photo. You just need to call on His name from where you are. He has the power to forgive our sins and liberate us from all guilt. He will dwell among you and bless you with an abundant life now and life forever to all those who believe in Him and His resurrected power. 

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When people commit and don't fulfill most of the time!

I am not sure how many people are confident to claim that they had fulfilled 100% of all their commitments they have made so far. To be honest, I cannot claim that myself. We all struggle in this area of fulfilling commitments which is universal. The root causes can be   combination of overcommitting, poor time management, unexpected life events, and the emotional fatigue that follows initial enthusiasm. For many there could be other reasons why they fail to keep commitments.

People say "yes" too often to please others either to be genuinely helpful or just pure ambitious. They maybe obsessed with self-gratification which is the act of satisfying one's own desires, impulses, or needs, often focused on achieving personal pleasures. Studies estimate that the average adult makes approximately 35,000 "remotely conscious" decisions daily, ranging from ordinary choices like food (226+ daily) to complex, significant decisions. Most decisions are minor (e.g., what to wear, checking a phone), but the cumulative effect consumes substantial mental energy. Our decision-making eventually leads to making commitments consciously or subconsciously. Some are intentional but some are to escape the situation we are in.

A person to whom we make the commitment waits eagerly for the same to be fulfilled but it’s never a guarantee. Imagine that someone has promised something to you but does not fulfill. Its irritating and disappointing. This becomes even more prominent when you want to finish with the commitment and move on. It can happen in personal or professional life.  After someone lets you down a couple of times, you’re less likely to trust them, right? Most of the time people commit and pretend to forget, when they are unwilling to fulfil. People often make commitments with the intention of being polite, avoiding conflict, or impressing someone in the moment, rather than with a firm intent to follow through. Saying "no" can be socially uncomfortable. Promising and later acting forgetful is sometimes seen as a "softer" exit than direct refusal.

The Bible emphasizes that it is better not to make a vow or promise than to make one and fail to fulfill it (Ecclesiastes 5:5 Bible). Reckless commitments are considered foolish and sinful, as God expects His children to keep their word, even when it is difficult, rather than making excuses for not following through. Uncommitted life can lead to the breakdown of family, and relationships. Unfilled commitments are the matter of the heart. Commitments stem from honesty and integrity which is not a mere good practice it reflects who you are as a person. Your life is the result of many choices and influences including your religious system. But true change of heart that leads to honesty and sincerity is the result of who you worship. You become who you worship. By this standard if you measure, Jesus is unique and God of the universe not only of His deeds and lifestyle but because He was raised from dead. He is not a story or an event but a God who transforms lives. When you learn more about Him and worship Him your life is changed forever. You become a someone who people long to be with. Your words will have meaning and your commitments become a fulfillment of promises. 

 

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Resurrection- The Game Changer of your Destiny!

The Greatest news  the world has ever heard: The TOMB is EMPTY!

Dear Friends, wishing you all a Happy Easter! Easter is not a mere festival; it is an event that shook the entire human history. Jesus the incarnation of God rose from the grave as He promised and He is the only one since. The Bible is also one of the best historical narratives which states His resurrection. Paul, a former atheist, after encountering Jesus followed Him and preached Jesus. He is the author of the book to the Corinthians and states in 1 Corinthians 15:3-6, “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.  After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.”

The resurrection of Jesus is recorded in the New Testament Gospels in the Bible - Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20-21 and in the Book of Acts. However, the earliest written record of the resurrection is the creed in 1 Corinthians 15:3–8, written by Paul around AD 50–55, which scholars believe dates to within months of the event. You can do more in depth reading to understand the resurrection also through non-Christian sources as mentioned IN THIS LINK

There is an interesting fact about the tomb in which Jesus was buried. According to the Bible, Jesus was buried in a borrowed, new tomb owned by Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy disciple who requested the body from Pilate. Key verses confirming this are Matthew 27:57-60, Luke 23:50-56, and John 19:38-42, note that the tomb was nearby, hewn from rock, and previously unused. The tomb, which was new and carved into rock, was used only temporarily—for a few days—because Jesus did not remain there, fulfilling the prophecy that He would be with the rich in His death. 

Joseph of Arimathea was a respected, wealthy council member (Sanhedrin) who secretly followed Jesus. He asked Pontius Pilate (Pontius Pilate was the Roman prefect (governor) of Judaea from 26–36 CE, best known for presiding over the trial of Jesus and sentencing Him to crucifixion), for Jesus’ body, ensuring a proper, honorable burial rather than leaving it for a mass grave.

Significance of "Borrowed": The tomb was not Jesus’ own, and it was used for a very brief period before the resurrection. Tradition holds that the tomb is within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

Prophetic Fulfillment: It fulfilled Isaiah 53:9, which predicted that despite being crucified with criminals, the Messiah would be buried in a rich man's grave. The Book of Isaiah is a prophetic book which was written approximately 700 to 500 years before Jesus. While the prophet Isaiah lived and wrote in the 8th century BCE (c. 700s BC), modern scholars indicate the book was compiled in stages, with major sections written during the Babylonian exile (6th century BCE).

The Gospel in the Bible is not advice for religious improvement. It is the announcement that God saves sinners through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We can have eternal life. Jesus came and died to pay for our sins, making it possible to live eternally. His resurrection proved it and paved the way for all who believe. Acknowledge the fact you are a sinner, believe that He died and rose again for your sins, and you will be saved.  You may like to check my previous blog on  Resurrection Revolution .

 

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