Agape

“But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

-Romans 5:8

Searching for a picture that sums up the word, “agape”, is difficult. When we think of love, our first images are rather joyful and beautiful. There are many pictures that demonstrate the love between man and God. But, what about the love God has for man?

It’s easy to love God…He created everything, He gave His only Son as a ransom for us, He blesses us daily, and at the very heart of it…He IS love (1 John 4:7).

Is it so easy to love us? What have we given? What could we ever do to earn the love of God?

Nothing.

That is the heart of agape love, it cannot be earned. It is freely given and always involves the sacrifice of the giver… and a painful sacrifice that is. It’s a love that thinks not of itself but only of others and their betterment.

Out of the “Four Loves”,  agape is the least emotional.

An example of this would be discipline. Remember the verse, “He who spares the rod hates their children?” (Proverbs 13:24). A selfish love would spare the rod in order to keep the peace. An agape love would risk their own peace for the sake of their children. That child may be angry with you for stopping them from “having fun”, but ultimately you are teaching them how to act so that someday they will be successful adults who know right from wrong and lead good Godly lives.

This love meets no personal desires like Eros (romance/sexual), Phileo (friendship/brotherly), and Storge (familial/motherly), it is merely sacrificial. And this love cannot be perverted as the other loves can because they involve desire and when desires are not controlled or are warped by satan, they become purely selfish.

God is Love, but all loves are not God.

What I mean is, when God isn’t in His proper place in our hearts, in other words, the “throne room”, then something else always takes His place. Satan can’t create anything new, he can only pervert what God has created, or in essence, was meant to be “good.” The Godly structure of marriage, family, sex, and “love,” can all be twisted when we replace God in the throne room.

People fall under the lie today that because God created it, it ALL must be good. God created us and yet are we ALL good? Today’s definition of love, therefore, isn’t quite what God’s definition is. God is Love, but He is also righteous and can’t deny Himself. His love is different than many of the warped loves we/satan have created.

That makes the argument, “if it’s love it must be from God!” invalid.

I say this only as an explanation or warning, that we should look to God and His Word to know what things are and what they are not, and not look to the world…which is ever-changing and very much self-driven since it’s king is the Devil.

Agape alone stands the test of time and the rise and fall of humanity. God is agape and that is the kind of love we should seek and value in our lives. In fact, that is the only kind of love we should die in the name of! Christ died not for himself but for all of humanity. It wasn’t glorious, it wasn’t honorable…he died a criminal’s death and suffered beyond fathom, enduring the ridicule, stripped bare and beaten beyond all recognition.

You see, God came down and become a man for us. Never believe that God the Father is apart from the Son! When Jesus came down, God came down. And in my next post, we will look at why this is so important, and why it was necessary.

Until then, God bless you and may He continue to lead you into a better understanding of His great Love. ❤

 

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True Strength

 

 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

-Psalm 46:1-3

We have all longed for it. We even pay to see it. Sitting, eyes glued to the screen, tears rolling down our faces, watching as on the movie screen a soldier runs back into the battle to retrieve a fallen comrade. The moment a hero takes a bullet for someone he/she doesn’t even know. There is something beautiful about a person who can keep standing back up, a person who can take a punch and who smiles back at the enemy as though mocking. It’s like nothing can touch them, like they can’t die…even as they fall to the ground, and their heart beats its last.

We long for such strength, we compliment those who display it. A friend battling cancer, or someone standing strong in the face of great loss. We say things like, “I don’t know how you do it,” or “I wish I had that kind of strength.” Meanwhile, in the minds of those displaying it, the reply is, “I didn’t have a choice!”, or “I hope you never have to find out how strong you can be!”

Sometimes I compare my hardships to others, it’s wrong, I know…I listen to someone hurting and realize that they are only just discovering what pain is. They are only just discovering their strength to endure it. And then I find myself in moments when I’m face to face with someone who is going through unimaginable pain, who is a veteran in the area of strength and perseverance. I find myself speechless and think, “have I learned anything?” The truth is, without Jesus…I am weak.

I’ve gone back to the source of what makes someone strong…and that is Love. It is greater than hatred, it is more powerful than mere admiration or respect. The love you have for your children, your spouse, your family, and your closest friends is the kind of love I’m talking about. And you know what, even that love isn’t enough! And so we must depend on Love itself…God, who gave His Son for us, who died the most painful death one could have on the cross. He would have died just for you…

Strength, true strength is a promise. It is for everyone who believes In Jesus Christ and who loves Him. Satan may try and cloud that love through lies, he may attempt to place doubt in your heart and fear. But just as your love for your children can never be extinguished, so our love for Jesus remains our anchor. We have seen who He is, and He has displayed His goodness to us! 1 John 4:19 says, “We love because He first loved us”, this assurance and trust forms a shield against satan’s lies. The Bible exists as a testament to God’s reckless love. It’s truly one big love story, the greatest one ever told.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. -John 3:16

True strength is only love put to action. Learn to love well…and you will be strong. Trust in the Lord and you won’t be afraid, let compassion consume you and you will stand back up, Love God and you will mirror His heart. As 1 Corinthians 13 reads;

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. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

THIS is the KEY to TRUE STRENGTH. 

The Kindess of God

“How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.”

-Psalm 36:7

How do you view God?

Lately, I’ve have been thinking about His kindness, something that often gets overlooked. We know God is good, that He is righteous and just, but do we truly know Him as kind? The Old Testament displayed only a jealous God it seems. A God that had a temper and who cared very much for obedience. However, that God is no different than our God today, He didn’t change, the circumstances did.

Jesus is the fulfillment of the law, the answer God had been paving the way for in the Old Testament, Jesus reflects the very heart of God. All along it was in God’s heart for mankind to be united with Him, to experience His love. After the fall, we were separated, and God couldn’t go against who He is. In order for Him to be with us, there had to be strict rules and sacrifices because man’s heart had fallen from righteousness and to simply be in God’s presence in those days could very likely end in death. His righteousness is so pure that it completely destroys darkness, even if that darkness is in man.

The Old Testament represents an old covenant, a life without Jesus. After His sacrifice, mankind was reunited with God. He can now dwell in us and be with us without the barrier of our fallenness. That is why today, we see a God who is called our Father, who is full of love, and who is kind. He can be who He truly is to us because He has redeemed us into who we truly are. We have all been adopted into His family, have been crowned as sons and daughters in His kingdom. When He see’s us He see’s our completed self, and He see’s His Son.

I have seen His kindness in big ways, and in small ways. The big ways bring me to my knees, the small ways lift me up and fill me with immeasurable joy. Like a father walking with his daughter and noticing she likes something that to the rest of the world may seem insignificant. It is the little things that God does that show me just how kind and present He always is.

Some examples of these little love letters:

-God noticed that I love wildlife, and now every day I see something new or exciting, sometimes right at my window! Never have I had so many birds, and so many types around my yard! Each time I think of God. Even our country house is a testament to God noticing this.

-God noticed that I needed beauty. Working in a hot stuffy factory all day can be draining in more ways than one. I miss the beauty of being outside, the color of life, the intricate creations of God vs. manmade items and machines that surround me. As I work, and start feeling this way, I will often have a dandelion seed float past me, pausing just in sight and dance away. Remember, I’m inside a factory, the only vents we have are a distance away from me and they have fans in them.

-God noticed that I love Star Trek, it was immediate, the moment my interest was sparked I was practically given a whole bag of Star Trek books for free. This continues. Let’s just say I have quite the collection now.

These love letters continue every day. Every inner desire, even the small things, God shows me that He hears and sees me and that He loves how I am wired. He loves how you’re wired too, He made you unique and so His love for each of us is unique and complete. That’s why I love the picture above…it truly capture’s the father/daughter/son relationship we have with Him.

The truth is God isn’t angry, He isn’t shaking His fists at the world, He isn’t numb either. God isn’t sleeping, He isn’t ashamed or full of regret at our existence. Our Lord isn’t unjust, His will isn’t evil…..

God is Love, and what is love? Let’s look at the definition in the Bible, and place God in the blank instead of love. Now it reads;

   God is patient, God is kind. He does not envy, He does not boast, He is not proud. ⁵ God does not dishonor others, He is not self-seeking, He is not easily angered, He keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶  God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷  He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. God never fails.

-1 Corinthians 13:4-8

This is who God is. If you still aren’t sure, If you still don’t know, look to Jesus. He walked this earth reflecting the heart of God. Every time he lifted someone up, every time he healed someone (he never turned a single person away in need of healing). He washed the feet of the disciples, He multiplied the fish and bread to feed a crowd, He pulled Peter up out of the water, He quieted the storm, He provided the best wine for a wedding, He cried over Lazarus, He raised Him from the dead! And He died on a cross…stormed the gates of hell and brought back what was taken from us.

That is our God. He is good, He is kind…and He is so much more.

 

 

Just for You

Just for You
There’s nothing I wouldn’t do
I’d come running when you fall
Wipe your every tear
Hold you in my arms
Fight away the fear.
I’d face the hardest trials
To simply know your heart
Your name is My Beloved
We are never far apart
I pray for you unceasingly
Sing many lullabies
Remind you what I see
When I look into your eyes
There’s no mountain
And no valley that
Is too tall or wide
I’d fight your every battle
And would gladly give my life…

-Jesus

Happy Valentine’s Day

Wanted

“God is love. He didn’t need us, but He wanted us.”

I don’t think I can truly capture what it means in words, to be wanted by God. In life, we say we love many things, but our actions often show what we want. What we really want, we chase after with all our hearts.

I love snow, but right now as it falls past my window and I am awed by its beauty, I can’t say I really want it. I prefer my love of beaches and sunshine, I want that! For God to say He loves us and wants us, means that always, no matter what, he prefers us over all His creation. We haven’t pushed Him away by a long shot, thank God…He still wants us. There are things I love that I have put aside, He doesn’t put us aside for anything. We are always His focus, we have His attention, His heart, and His desires. He has wanted us before we even knew what the word meant. Just as He has loved us before we were born. It is through Him we want and love and feel.

I remember when I was picking our wedding song, I had searched through many songs of love and had said “I love you” to my fiance many times, I wanted love to have a different name that expressed my desire for him. I came across the song, Wanted by Hunter Hayes and instantly knew this was our dance, our song. I had told Aaron I loved him, now I wanted to show him I wanted him forever and always. Especially when we had both gone through times in our lives when we didn’t feel all that wanted.

If we truly loved well we would want well. But unfortunately, we are still beginners at this thing called love. But our teacher is Love Himself, and He wants us… He wants to be with us, to walk with us, to live in us. How do I know this? Because that Love died for us.

And now we must ask ourselves this:

You may love God, but how much do you want Him?

 

“When I wrap you up
When I kiss your lips.
I wanna make you feel wanted
And I wanna call you mine
Wanna hold your hand forever
And never let you forget it
‘Cause, baby, I wanna make you feel wanted”

-Wanted: Hunter Hayes

Reckless Love

“There’s no shadow you won’t light up

Mountain you won’t climb up, 

Coming after me

There’s no wall you won’t kick down

Lie you won’t tear down

Coming after me.”

-“Reckless Love” -Cory Asbury (Bethel Music)

Do you remember the feeling of falling in love? As a teen, it can “feel” pretty overwhelming. You actively pursue your love interest, memorizing their features, what they like and dislike. Every moment with them makes your heart skip and your face cramps from smiling so much. It feels like your love has no limits, you would do anything for him/her to show them you love them. And beneath all the emotions and hormones, you believe that you will love that person forever…..until you discover that they don’t want your forever. Pain like nothing else, as if your heart burst into a million pieces, leaves you feeling like the world is at its end. The future you had envisioned disappears along with the one you couldn’t stop thinking about.

In time, you accept the loss, you let go of your pain and realize that the world isn’t ending. You think of that person less and less until it’s as if they came from a different time, a different life. You fall out of love, the one thing you believed was impossible.

If only we knew we were loved by one who never stops loving. Pursued by one who never stops pursuing. Many of us don’t realize that we are in the greatest love story ever told, in fact, we are the bride in this great story. An infinite all-powerful God, romancing a fallen world….what reckless love.

He adores us even as His heart is breaking, His love has no boundaries, no conditions. We simply can’t escape it. And yet no one knows rejection like He does…the world has proven time and again that it’s not a faithful bride. God came to the earth through His Son Jesus, to be with us, and we killed Him. And what did He give us in return? Did He abandon us and fall out of love with us? No, He surrendered His son on the cross and in doing so, He paid the ransom we couldn’t pay and gave us so many blessings that we’re still discovering!

I’m reminded of the story of Hosea and Gomer. God told Hosea to marry an unfaithful woman to symbolize the unfaithfulness of Israel towards God. So Hosea marries Gomer and she soon returns to the life of an adulterer, sleeping with other men besides her husband. This life leads to Gomer being taken as a slave.

I can imagine this being Gomer’s all-time low. What man would love her after what she has done? Standing on a step with a price on her head, no longer a woman but something to be used. And then she spots him, Hosea, the only man who called her wife, pushing his way through the crowd toward her, ready to buy her back.

God told Hosea, just as I love my people Israel, you must love your wife again…

What reckless love.

No matter what you have done, God is always there ready to take you back. And He doesn’t come to buy you with coins but with His only Son Jesus, who is willing to take your place, to pay the ultimate price for you. I promise you, no human can make you whole, no husband or wife can fulfil your every need and desire for love. Only God can satisfy your soul, and He does so not because He has to, but because He wants to. We are wanted, desired, sought after by God…. that, is reckless love.

“Then Jesus told this parable: Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep!”

Luke 15:3-6