What is Genuine Love? (Part II)

May 14, 2026

What is Genuine Love? (Part II)

Elder Paisios of Mount Athos

“Let no one seek his own good, but the good of the other,” says the Paul the Apostle. The entire foundation of spiritual life lies here: to forget oneself in the good sense, and to think of the other person; to share the pain and difficulty of another. Not to look for ways to escape hardship oneself, but to help the other, to bring them rest and consolation.

Photo by Kindel Media

Those who possess worldly love, struggle over who will seize more love for themselves. But those who possess spiritual and genuine love, struggle over who will give more love to the other. They love without thinking whether others love them in return or not, nor do they demand love from others. They only desire to give and to offer themselves, without expecting others to give to them or offer themselves in return. Such people are loved by everyone—but above all by God, with whom they become spiritually united.

Within suffering, there is hidden a greater love than ordinary love. For when you suffer with another person, you love them more deeply. Love with pain means embracing a brother afflicted even by demons, until the demons flee. For “tight” love—spiritual love filled with compassionate pain—gives divine consolation to God’s creatures, drowns demons, frees souls, and heals wounds with the balm of Christ’s love that it pours out.

Photo by Nicolò Taborra

The spiritual person is entirely made of compassionate pain. He melts from sorrow for others, prays, and consoles. And although he takes upon himself the pain of others, he remains joyful, because Christ takes away his pain and comforts him spiritually.

For someone to rejoice truly and spiritually, they must love; and in order to love, they must believe. People do not believe, and therefore they do not love, sacrifice themselves, or rejoice. If they believed, they would love, sacrifice themselves, and rejoice. The greatest joy is born from sacrifice.

When you love, you rejoice. And when love increases, a person no longer seeks joy for themselves, but desires that others may rejoice. Divine joy comes through self-giving.

Photo by Elijah Pilchard

Once, a simple man begged God to show him what Heaven and Hell are like. One night, in his sleep, he heard a voice saying to him: “Come, let me show you Hell.”

He found himself in a room where many people sat around a table. In the center stood a pot full of food. Yet all the people were starving, because they could not eat. In their hands they each held an extremely long spoon. They could take food from the pot, but they could not bring the spoon to their own mouths. So some complained, others shouted, others wept.

Photo by Kha Ruxury

Then he heard the same voice say: “Come now, and I will show you Heaven.”

He then found himself in another room, where many people sat around a similar table, with the same pot of food in the middle and the same long spoons. Yet all were full and joyful, because each person used their spoon to feed the other.

Do you now understand how you can begin to live Heaven already in this life?