A Little Bit of Faith: Give Love

What kind of love are you searching for? Are you looking for Eros or an Agape kind of love? Many of us want love in our lives, but we go about trying to get love in the wrong way. In the book of John, it speaks of a kind of love that is greater and more fulfilling. It references the kind of love that is freely given wanting nothing in return.

“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). I’m sure many of you have heard this verse before.  But have you ever thought about what this verse means?  This verse has a deeper meaning about love than many of us can comprehend. Jesus wanted His disciples to love one another in a way that most people could not understand then or now.  Jesus wanted them to love each other without wanting anything in return.  He wanted His disciples to have an agape kind of love.  This is the kind of love that Jesus has for all of us.  Jesus loves us without wanting anything in return.

Often we think of love in its romantic form, but it is possible for us to be able to have a kind of love that is deeper than we can understand.  However, we often want something in return.  The secret to loving people with open arms is learning how to have an agape type of love for each other.  Jesus is the perfect example of this type of love.  When He went to the cross and gave His life for sinners like you and me, Jesus was showing and expressing an unselfish love.  That is what agape love is—it is unselfish.

Yet, the most important element of an agape type of love is that a person must be willing to express this kind of love without giving it a second thought.  And this is what Jesus did. He did not think twice about whether what He was doing was the right thing or not.  He simply did what He knew He had to do and gave His life on the cross for all of us.  This precious gift was so freely given to all of us that we still have a difficult time understanding fully the price He paid for being unselfish and showing mankind an agape type of love.

Is there someone whom you can show an agape type of love toward?  If so, can you express it in a Christ-like manner?   If you are willing to show people an agape type of love, then people will be able to get a glimpse of Christ in you.  Are you willing to express God’s agape love toward someone today? I know I am. Amen? Amen.