The Power of Love: God’s Love Part 1
The Power of Love – God’s Love Pt 1
There are four types of love found in life:
- Storge love – the love found in a family
- Phileo love – the love found among friends
- Eros love – the love found in a romance
- Agape love – the love found only in God Himself
Agape love is God’s love. It is a completely separate and unique love that Jesus introduced to the human race. It is entirely unconditional. It is not a responsive love, like human love is.
For us humans, we love the lovely, the attractive, those worthy of love. We respond to the object of our love by the behavior or likability of that object.
God’s love, on the other hand, is not a responsive love. It simply is. God…is…love. He loves you because that is Who He is. This is why you can’t earn God’s love. He just loves you.
Jesus not only introduced this love to the human race, but He also puts this love into the hearts of His followers:
“Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:5 NKJ
Why do you think God poured His love into your heart when you gave your life to His Son?
Here are two reasons. Notice the order they are listed.
- So you can knowHis love for yourself.
- So you can showHis love to others.
Jesus is not only the example of God’s love to us, but He is the expression of God’s love through us.
We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19 New American Standard Bible
Some people have chosen not to love, or to be loved ever again, because they have been hurt. That might be you. To love again will open your heart to be hurt again. But, as C.S. Lewis says,
“There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket—safe, dark, motionless, airless—it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.”
As a follower of Jesus, you are not called to isolate, but to infiltrate this lost and dying world with God’s love. You are to boldly and bravely love the unlovable. And the hardest ones to love are the ones who have hurt you. But that is what His love is for. God’s love can, and will, love through you. This is what God has called you to do.
As the holidays are approaching, spend time alone with God. Ask Him to fill your heart with His love. You will find that His love not only heals your heart, but it will flow through your heart to love the unlovable.
John
Your Turn:
- Have you accepted the unconditional love of God, or are you still trying to earn God’s love?
- How do you think your life would be different if you allowed God’s love to flow through you to others?
- What can you do to make sure you stay filled up with the love of God?