Don't Give Up On Real LOVE (AGAPE)

LOVE - Without Resolve Deuteronomy 15:7–11 1 Corinthians 13 I love, the word love, because you cannot get away from it. In the greek language there are four meanings for love, its everywhere, but there is only one true love connected to all the others. 1. Agape (unconditional, sacrificial love "love without any end") 2. Philia (brotherly love or deep friendship), 3. Eros (passionate, romantic love) 4. Storge (familial, affectionate love). When the Israelites were about to go into the promised land, God called on them to show His love by meeting the needs of the needy, Deuteronomy 15:10). As a believer today, I too have the honor of sharing God's love to a lost and dying world by loving on them, even when I don't feel like it. I think you will agree with me, no one has ever literally seen God. The bible tells us so in (1 John 4:12) “No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us”. Then it says in (John 3:16) How God demonstrated His love for us through His one and only Son. “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us” (3:16). Believe me, loving on others has a cost to the one that loves, you make yourself vulnerble for rejection, hurt and anger. Alsi, God may ask you to give not only if yourself, but money, for sure its going to cost you time, and likely some food. Galations 6:10 says, “As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers”. Friends as you are obedient in this you will be blessed as other are drawn to Gods love and compassion as ou become aninstrument of that love. So what does pure love look like ; 1 Corinthians 13 - AGAPE LOVE If you are obedient to God and seek to fulfill this kind of love without resolve you will be blessed in the end. Believe me at tomes it does not come right away, but if you will be persistant and true, to the love God has placed in your heart you will be blessed. I know this type of love transform your life, it becomes adictive and you just cant stop. Believe me when I tell you, love isn’t easy, but i n the end it will be worth it. It takes being in love with God and truly listen to your heart as you hear the heart of others aroud you. It takes a special God given talent to be able to love as God loves. You see my friends, love is a choice, that is why many arranged marriages worked, it was because the two people involved made a choice to make it work and gradually they fall in love because of choice. You see, I only fell in love with my wife, was it genuine, I'm not sure, but I know that becaise of choice, it became truely genuine and real. I made a choice that I would love her untell death do us part. Over the years, my feelings have come and gone many times, but my choice stayed secure in my heart, in my promise to God and to my wife. When love was my choice it meant I was committed to showing up in my marriage 24/7 no matter if I felt it or not. It came to the place that it did not and does not matter if I and in a good mood or bad, my love had to show up. If I was tired from a long days work, or if I had just had a good sleep and I felt like loving, it needed to show up, in so many different ways. Because sometimes you just can't love another person in the ways you would like to. Agape love, a love that is built on Gods love and in a relationship with the object of your love. Agape love is not a love that shows up if the weather is good. It shows up, whether things are perfect or not. I have found it is pretty easy to love, when everything is rosey and good. But when thigs are out of control, and the roses are being pulled up, it is then the committment to choose love has to kick in. A choice to care, to give, to forgive, to communicate, and to look that commitment in the face and say O'm doing this. with the help of God I will This valentines day, take the temprature of your love. I know, emotional love is sweet when you call him/her your sweetheart, truely that alone is not enough. It alone will not carry you through the tough times along the way, and believe me, there will be tough times. Please believe and old man who has faced it many times in almost 48 years in my marriage and almost 70 years in my life time. There has been many lessons of learning along the way. I know, intentional love is what will carry you through, I cant tell you how many times, my choosing to love has been trampled on, but it has kept me from staying angry and from holding grudges and from loosing friends. My desire was and always will be to seek good relationships and do hat I can to rebuild when the feelings are no longer as intense as they once were. For instance, I moght be angry with you, and disagree with you, but it does not mean I don't love you. I won't stop loving you or showing that I care for you. Why? Because the love ofJesus is deep down in my heeart and I choose to love you inspite of what may or maynot happen. O do this because I know my God's love isn’t based on feeling. He doesn’t stop loving me just because I mess up or make a mistake, or sin against Him. He does not withdraw His love from me in those moments. But rather, I have been told, when I walk away from Him, He does not change, He shows up for me every day, and when I choose to turn back to Him, hHe is there waiting and ready to offer me His offering grace and mercy and forgiveness, whether I desirve it or not. In closing, (John 13:34-35), Tells me that as a believer are I am commanded to love one others with the same (agape) "1 Corinthians 13" love that Jesus uses to love us. It is not just an emotion but a choice towards the well-being of others, have a servents heartat all times. Father, God, loving and merciful, I love you because you first loved me, God as you have shown me kindness when I have been in need, I pray that I will in turn show kindness to others who also my be in need and asking for help. Help me Lord to know when my helping will hurt, but also soften my heart that I will lovingly love those who are in need and everyone you bring across my path AMEN