Tag Archives: Agape

Divine Love

agapeLent
March 17, 2015

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 31:31-34

No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord’, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.— Jeremiah 31:34

What does it mean to “know God”? Sometimes I wonder if it is even possible to know another person, fully and completely. 1 John 4:7-8 talks about knowing God: Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. If we truly know God, we must love one another. When we humans reach the point of all loving one another then we will also fully love God and thus know God.

So what is love? The Greek word translated love in 1 John 4:7-8 is Agape* and is often described as divine love. What seems to set Agape love apart from the other forms of love in the Greek language, the love of siblings for each other or erotic love, is that Agape love, God’s love, results from choice. God chooses to love each of us and we are to follow God’s example and are free to choose to love one another. Agape love centers in moral preference. God calls us to prefer to love one another always and to live that love.

When I worked at children’s hospital years ago, we helped a family whose baby had a very rare condition that resulting in his emitting a strong foul odor most of the time. Besides that he was very large for his age and very delayed in development. It was backbreaking to carry him and at that time he was too big for infant strollers and two underdeveloped to sit in a wheelchair. We could use a gurney to move him about at the hospital. I think the family used a padded wheel barrel at home. His family could have chosen to walk away from him. They did not. The mother chose to love him with all her heart and the resulting care was still there when he died in her arms a few months later. I have also seen substitute caretakers chose to love unconditionally when primary caretakers cannot. In many instances it takes both.

Sometimes the people we deem the most unlovable are the ones who we need to love the most.

Prayer: Lord, enable us to love each other particularly the least of these. Amen.

*http://biblehub.com/greek/26.htm

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Labor of Love

labor of loveLiving in the Spirit
Light a Candle for Children
October 16, 2014

 Scripture Reading: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

 We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of people we proved to be among you for your sake.— 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5

What is your labor of love? The Greek word translated “love” in this scripture is Agape, which is often described as God’s love. Agape is based in the word “prefer”. Thus Agape is the act of doing what God prefers. Our calling in Christ is to do what God prefers. Our love for God is expressed in our honoring of what God prefers. Since God created us, I cannot help but believe, that we were each created by God to be a part of God’s kingdom and that when we find the thing that God is calling us to do we will find not only what God prefers but it will be exactly what we each prefer and our source of greatest joy. Jesus described it as the pearl of great price. (Matthew 13: 45-46)

What is your labor of love regarding children? Is it volunteering in a neonatal ward at a hospital, coaching soccer, taking a turn teaching in the children’s nursery at your church, tutoring a child in school, organizing activities for children, advocating for the rights of children, being a teacher or a pediatrician, being a big brother or big sister, regularly and faithfully provided financial support for programs that help children or???

God never sends us on a journey of service alone. We are equipped with God’s power through the Holy Spirit. Let us all examine our lives to determine what we are doing for the well-being of children in our world today. Ask the Lord, if God is calling you to do something more or better. Once you have found God’s preference that is also your preference, never let it go. It is a precious gift.

 Oklahoma Fact: In 2011, 576 Youth resided in juvenile detention, correctional and/or residential facilities*

Prayer: O Lord, my God, help me to find your preference for my life that is also my preference and fill me with the Holy Spirit so that that I can fully do what you are calling me to do. Amen.

*http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/tables/42-youth-residing-in-juvenile-detention-correctional-and-or-residential-facilities?loc=38&loct=2#detailed/2/38/false/867,133,18,17,14/any/319,320

 All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.