God’s Perfect Love
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
1 John 4:16
God’s very nature is love and his love is the highest form of love that exists: Agape love. This type of love only comes from God, and all that are in his family are filled with his love. Agape is the highest form of love that exists between mankind and God. Agape love is not the same as brotherly love or sexual love, but rather it is a universal and unconditional love that persists regardless of circumstance. It goes beyond our emotions and seeks the best for others.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these (Mark 12:30-31). These two verses reveal the heart of a true Christian who sees everyone through the eyes of God and with a heart filled with his agape love. This love from God enables the Christian to put God and others first.
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:44). Christians are to love their enemies with agape love because there is no room in a Christian’s heart for hate. Likewise, Christians are to pray for their enemies, for those who are living in Satan’s lies and persecuting Christians, destroying governments, and creating evil. Life is a spiritual war that must be fought with the Lord’s agape love as our weapon.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12). Christians are to fight sin with prayer and walk reflecting God’s love to everyone. The more God’s people pray the more we will see God’s activity in the world. Faith and dependence on God is reflected through prayer. So pray for the many lost souls who are Satan’s pawns, living and reflecting his lies.
Today reflect the Lord’s agape love to everyone, independent of your first impression. Agape love is action; it’s based on a caring and compassionate heart for everyone, especially for lost souls. “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord (Romans 12:19). Have mercy on lost souls before it’s too late and they face the eternal wrath of God.
Let’s Pray: Lord, fill my heart with your agape love and help me to reflect it to everyone today. Help me to see everyone with a heart of love, compassion, and mercy. Keep Satan behind me today and help me to overcome any temptations of anger or fear. In Jesus name, Amen