Agape love…what is it?

There are 4 words for “love” in the Bible. One of them is “Agape” love meaning, “God’s divine” love seen most clearly through the love of Jesus Christ and (importantly) given to those who receive the Spirit of God into their lives.

Let’s focus on AGAPE love in this post. It’s a deeper and more enduring love than the others. Agape love does not occur naturally… As Paul writes in (Romans 5:5) This is the (agape) love that has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us when we became His children.

SIGNS OF AGAPE LOVE… There are at least five elements:

1-You put the needs of the other person first, with no expectation of receiving anything in return… Like a mother caring for her child.

2-You don’t hold grudges or keep reminding people of their faults…Hanging on to past hurts does us much more damage than it does to the person who hurt us! Also, fault-finding is not borne of God’s Spirit. Be a Barnabas! (Son of Encouragement not flattery)

3-True agape love involves trust/faith… in God and others. Jesus said: “I will never leave you or abandon/forsake you.”

Loving someone makes us vulnerable, but that’s the risk we take. We are not being naïve in trusting others, we give those we know every chance to succeed and demonstrate responsibility.

4-Agape love is filled with genuine HOPE (not ‘hope for the best’)! Biblical hope is having a positive attitude and a confident belief in God.

5-True love involves wholehearted commitment. Commitment always supersedes ‘convenience’. Commitment never says: “I can’t be bothered!”