Today, we are looking at the greatest gift that God has given us within the fruit of the Spirit, and the very reason I knew that God was working in my life – love
Before finding God, I was bitter, angry, and I hated the world. Then, over time, I realised that as I grew in my relationship with God, my ability to forgive others grew, but more importantly, I noticed that I started to have compassion, and finally, the type of love that God desires from us, towards others – agape
Agape is very precise within its meaning through the Greek language because it’s not a feeling, but this type of love is a choice. It’s a choice to put others needs before our own. It’s a choice to be kind. It was a choice for Jesus to sacrifice Himself, for us
Jesus gave us the two greatest commandments of all, when He said:
“And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
Mark 12:30-31
This is why agape comes from the Holy Spirit because to love God and others – sacrificially – is not something that we can ever do in our own strength. It wasn’t something that I could ever manufacture in my life either. I could not love the people that I choose to love today without the Holy Spirit giving me the strength to do so – by being evident in my life
This is why love is the greatest gift – agape is the reason that billions of people have seen their lives changed. In 1 Corinthians 13, it states that agape is patient, agape is kind, and agape never fails
Friends, whatever you struggle with in life, and no matter where you found yourself, the love of God will show you what true love is. God wants to show us what His unconditional and selfless love is when often, the world is confused by true love. This is why we, as God’s children are the branches of His love and why agape is the most powerful thing that we can show to other
“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13:13
Categories: Fruits of the Spirit
