Wednesday, October 9, 2024
What comes to mind when you think of the word love? Maybe you think of your spouse, your friends, or the warm feeling of fellowship with others. These are all good things, but there is more to the story.
Love is not just something that you feel or gives you butterflies—it is also an action. To love someone or something is a choice that you must actively make every day.
There are many forms of love—romantic love, love between friends, love for your family, and more. However, there is a form of love displayed by God in the Bible to which we must pay attention—agape. Agape is a completely selfless love where you make the decision to put someone’s needs above your own, even if they do not repay it in kind. Jesus showed us an agape-type love when he sacrificed his life on the cross as a ransom for our sins, though we did not deserve it.
Our tendency is to only extend love to those who are loveable, but Jesus calls us to something different. He teaches us to extend agape love to everyone around us—even to those who do us wrong. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God gives us the strength and patience to love our enemies, as radical as that may seem to the rest of the world.
Matthew 5:43-45
43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.”
Take a moment to remember that our heavenly Father pours his agape into each of us every day. Let us freely and intentionally reflect that love back out to those around us, especially those who are lost, hurting, and need Jesus in their lives.
Questions:
What does love mean according to God’s standards?
What are some ways you can extend agape to those around you this week?
Next Steps:
Prayerfully ask God to give you an opportunity to show agape to someone who needs to see the love of Jesus.
Join a Second Saturday Serve Group this weekend to connect with other like-minded Jesus followers and extend the love of Jesus to those in your local community.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thanks for showing me agape love every day, even though I do not deserve it. Help me to love others in the same way that you do, extending patience and grace to my enemies. Strengthen me throughout my week and give me the endurance and encouragement necessary to love others. Help me to view others as you view them, and to give them the same love. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Series Theme Verse:
John 16:33
"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
This post was written by Isabelle Billnitzer, a regular contributor to the LivingItOut Devotional.