In this ongoing study of love that God seems to have me living inside of—not for a season, but for years, perhaps for a lifetime—I had a quiet revelation about how agape, or divine love, differs from its lesser forms: romantic love, familial love, and friendship.
"May I be worthy of Your calling, Lord. May You fulfill every resolve for GOOD and every work of faith by Your power." II Thessalonians 1:11
I have been attempting to love the people in my life by encouraging those close to me with a God kind of love. I have been stumped by impatience, my own questions... and my fault-finding.
The word "good" in this verse is the key to unlocking love. The Greek word agathos means to value something—and it shares the same root as agape love.
This reframes everything. The contrast of goodness is not evil. It is worthlessness. To love is not merely to be kind. To love is to find value.
So the question becomes uncomfortable, but necessary: Are you finding value in others—or in their faults?
And what about yourself? Where have you withdrawn value?
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Love Workshop — Valentine’s Day