It doesn’t matter how you feel, there is a conduct and principles we are to follow. We are not going to win the lost behaving like the lost. – Dr. J. T. Flowers
We’ve all had our fair share of love or what we ‘thought’ love was. Love is not just a feeling, it’s a choice. A conscious decision you make, commitment and consistent action. The love I’m referring to is Agape love. God’s divine love for man and poured into the hearts of the born again. The highest form of selfless, unconditional, and sacrificial love. It originates from God and extends to all humanity. Compared to eros (romantic/sexual love), agape is not sexual, it’s more spiritual love. Compared to philia (brotherly love/friendship), agape is more universal extending beyond friends. Compared to storge (family/natural love), agape transcends familiarity, circumstances and biological ties. For years I just couldn’t grasp or understand why I didn’t or couldn’t receive the same love that I gave out. At times I couldn’t and wouldn’t give the same love that I received, whether relationships, friendships, and/or family ties. It was a constant cycle of failure and disappointment that caused me to respond in negative ways. It wasn’t until I started taking my walk with Christ more serious that I saw and knew that what I thought was love wasn’t the real deal.
In Christ we are connected to the greatest and purest love, and when we stay connected, we cannot help but to be reminded on how to love one another correctly with our words and actions. When you are connected to Jesus and you continue to make the conscious decision to love like He does, your heart will be transformed, and God’s love will flow through you. Without Jesus it is impossible to love people the correct way. Even when I don’t feel like loving I choose to do so anyway. I choose to love even when I feel like it’s not deserved. I choose to love even when I am upset. I choose to love because He commanded me to do so (John 13:34-35, John 15:12). I choose to love because He is love and He lives in me (1 John 4:16, 1 John 4:8). I choose to love because without love I am nothing (1 Corinthians 13:2). I choose to love because love is the greatest and love is indispensable (1 Corinthians 13:13). We should all love people with God’s love because it can make a difference in a world that is full of hate and wickedness. You loving people (agape) could change them. Your words and/or actions could give them hope, joy, enrichment and encouragement. That type of love could even save a life…that’s why I choose love.