Love?

Sunday the preacher talked about the verses below in 1 John. John wrote that God is love. Specifically what does that mean and what does it mean to us? We say it casually and continue on but I am convinced most people have no idea what it means and how they should relate to it. We use the word "love" to describe how we feel about people, animals, food, views, aromas, ideas. John says we should love each other in a social and moral sense because God loves us in affection and benevolence, charity, sense. What does that mean? In what way does love in a social and moral sense differ from love as in affection and benevolence, charity? Looking at the Strong's Concordance the following words are used and I have identified them in the verses below.

25 Love in a social and moral sense

26 Love in affection and benevolence, charity

1 John 4:7-12
Beloved, let us love (25 in a social and moral sense) one another, for love (26 in affection and benevolence, charity) is from God, and whoever loves (25 in a social and moral sense) has been born of God and knows God. [8] Anyone who does not love (25 in a social and moral sense) does not know God, because God is love (26 in affection and benevolence, charity). [9] In this the love (26 in affection and benevolence, charity) of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. [10] In this is love (26 in affection and benevolence, charity), not that we have loved (25 in a social and moral sense) God but that he loved (25 in a social and moral sense) us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. [11] Beloved, if God so loved (25 in a social and moral sense) us, we also ought to love (25 in a social and moral sense) one another. [12] No one has ever seen God; if we love (26 in affection and benevolence, charity) one another, God abides in us and his love (25 in a social and moral sense) is perfected in us.

1 John 3:16-17
By this we know love (26 in affection and benevolence, charity), that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. [17] But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love (26 in affection and benevolence, charity) abide in him?