Day Three: Agape Love
Romans 5:8
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
A few weeks ago I was blessed with the ability to travel to Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico and love on 79 beautiful children. I will be the first to admit, those sweet kids stole my heart from the moment they grabbed my hand. They had no idea who I was, but they knew I was there to spend time with them and to give them love. What I wasn't expecting was to be shown more of God's love than what I could give. I went on this trip with the impression of showing these sweet children God's love, but by the end of the week I was brought to my knees through tearful good-byes and the feeling of my heart ready to burst with all the love they had shown me.
For those that do not know about the children I went to visit (although I'm sure most of you do), these children have been abused in any way you can think of. They have been abandon, sexually abused, neglected, forgotten, hurt, used in drug trafficking and so many more terrible things. After looking into these kids eyes I cannot imagine who would harm a hair on their sweet heads.
After I returned, I was asked to talk about my trip 4 days later. I'm pretty sure I was a jumbled mess and I know I cried while I was up there. I remember it being the most nervous I had ever been to talk in front of my brothers and sisters in Christ. I tried to put into words how these kids had touched my life. How they had changed my life. How they had brought back the light in me that I felt had been missing. The only words I could even think to use were "Agape Love"
Agape Love is defined as 1) the love of god or Christ for humankind and 2) the love of Christians for other persons, corresponding to the love of God for humankind.
I will be the first to admit that at one point I was willing to accept God's agape love for me, but I was not willing to give it to everyone. These children showed me agape love. An unconditional, selfless, pure love that cannot be matched. These children love without barriers. No language, no age, no color, no race, no gender and no disability can block the love these kids feel for each other and the love they show others. They are sweet and happy children. They play like other kids. The young ones, including "mi hijo para la semana" (my son for the week) Yovani, wanted to be held and rocked. They are normal children. They show grace to a human world that has hurt them beyond anything we could even imagine. I can only understand a sliver of what they have gone through.
Since I have been home, I have felt as though God is asking me to stop. To stop and just listen. To stop and just be with Him. To stop and serve quietly alongside my brothers and sisters in Christ. To stop and just spend time with Him and in His word. Now, I know that does not seem like a bad thing at all and it's not in any way, but it's very hard for someone who is always on the go and is always wanting to help in any little way I can. I am being forced out of my comfort zone.
He's also teaching me to extend some serious grace. Since being home I have been able to feel Satan coming at me. It's been a while since I have felt his presence so strong in my life. I have felt attacked. I have felt misunderstood. I have felt judged. I have felt persecuted. It's been a lot to take in, but Satan does that. When he sees someone growing so much closer to Christ and wanting to do nothing, but pursue Him and be at the foot of the cross, he finds this to be the best time to come at you with everything he has. He knows our weaknesses just as much as Christ does and he knows how to play them against us. We begin to question people. We begin to question where we serve. We begin to question how was serve and if it was enough. By doing that we are taking our eyes off Christ. We are letting our trust in the Lord be questioned.
One of my favorite verses and my very first memory verse is Proverbs 3:5-6.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."
How many of us can say that we fully trust in the Lord 24/7 365 days a year? I know that if I said I do people would need to back up because I would be struck by lightning for lying in front of them and, more importantly, in front of God. While I have been going through this rough time since I have been home I have had my faith tested. I have questioned for a moment why this is all happening. I have had to take a step back and realize that just because I don't understand does not mean it's not for the greater good and to bring God glory. That is why everything happens and why we do what we do. It should always be to bring God glory. He's a loving and just God. He loves us so passionately that He sent His son to die for our sins in the most humiliating way ever, on the cross. God wants what is best for us and if something is in our lives that is not the best for us then God will take it out of our lives and begin to show us what is best (trust me I have had this happen and it is not easy at all). God knows everything that will happen in our lives. He planned it. He planned us. He knows when we will stumble and sin and he knows when we will get back up. But He lets us stumble and sin to teach us something. I love that about God. He is a teaching God and always wants us to learn something new about Him.
So today I have 2 challenges for you. My first challenge for you is to learn something new about God today. Ask God to open your eyes to something new about Him. My second challenge for you is to extend grace and show agape love to someone you feel is attacking you. Give them the benefit of the doubt. Talk to them and let them know how you are feeling. Show them God's love and grace. Be forgiving if they have hurt you. I will be doing both of these in the next coming days. Will you?
For Him and For His Glory!
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
A few weeks ago I was blessed with the ability to travel to Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico and love on 79 beautiful children. I will be the first to admit, those sweet kids stole my heart from the moment they grabbed my hand. They had no idea who I was, but they knew I was there to spend time with them and to give them love. What I wasn't expecting was to be shown more of God's love than what I could give. I went on this trip with the impression of showing these sweet children God's love, but by the end of the week I was brought to my knees through tearful good-byes and the feeling of my heart ready to burst with all the love they had shown me.
For those that do not know about the children I went to visit (although I'm sure most of you do), these children have been abused in any way you can think of. They have been abandon, sexually abused, neglected, forgotten, hurt, used in drug trafficking and so many more terrible things. After looking into these kids eyes I cannot imagine who would harm a hair on their sweet heads.
After I returned, I was asked to talk about my trip 4 days later. I'm pretty sure I was a jumbled mess and I know I cried while I was up there. I remember it being the most nervous I had ever been to talk in front of my brothers and sisters in Christ. I tried to put into words how these kids had touched my life. How they had changed my life. How they had brought back the light in me that I felt had been missing. The only words I could even think to use were "Agape Love"
Agape Love is defined as 1) the love of god or Christ for humankind and 2) the love of Christians for other persons, corresponding to the love of God for humankind.
I will be the first to admit that at one point I was willing to accept God's agape love for me, but I was not willing to give it to everyone. These children showed me agape love. An unconditional, selfless, pure love that cannot be matched. These children love without barriers. No language, no age, no color, no race, no gender and no disability can block the love these kids feel for each other and the love they show others. They are sweet and happy children. They play like other kids. The young ones, including "mi hijo para la semana" (my son for the week) Yovani, wanted to be held and rocked. They are normal children. They show grace to a human world that has hurt them beyond anything we could even imagine. I can only understand a sliver of what they have gone through.
Since I have been home, I have felt as though God is asking me to stop. To stop and just listen. To stop and just be with Him. To stop and serve quietly alongside my brothers and sisters in Christ. To stop and just spend time with Him and in His word. Now, I know that does not seem like a bad thing at all and it's not in any way, but it's very hard for someone who is always on the go and is always wanting to help in any little way I can. I am being forced out of my comfort zone.
He's also teaching me to extend some serious grace. Since being home I have been able to feel Satan coming at me. It's been a while since I have felt his presence so strong in my life. I have felt attacked. I have felt misunderstood. I have felt judged. I have felt persecuted. It's been a lot to take in, but Satan does that. When he sees someone growing so much closer to Christ and wanting to do nothing, but pursue Him and be at the foot of the cross, he finds this to be the best time to come at you with everything he has. He knows our weaknesses just as much as Christ does and he knows how to play them against us. We begin to question people. We begin to question where we serve. We begin to question how was serve and if it was enough. By doing that we are taking our eyes off Christ. We are letting our trust in the Lord be questioned.
One of my favorite verses and my very first memory verse is Proverbs 3:5-6.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."
How many of us can say that we fully trust in the Lord 24/7 365 days a year? I know that if I said I do people would need to back up because I would be struck by lightning for lying in front of them and, more importantly, in front of God. While I have been going through this rough time since I have been home I have had my faith tested. I have questioned for a moment why this is all happening. I have had to take a step back and realize that just because I don't understand does not mean it's not for the greater good and to bring God glory. That is why everything happens and why we do what we do. It should always be to bring God glory. He's a loving and just God. He loves us so passionately that He sent His son to die for our sins in the most humiliating way ever, on the cross. God wants what is best for us and if something is in our lives that is not the best for us then God will take it out of our lives and begin to show us what is best (trust me I have had this happen and it is not easy at all). God knows everything that will happen in our lives. He planned it. He planned us. He knows when we will stumble and sin and he knows when we will get back up. But He lets us stumble and sin to teach us something. I love that about God. He is a teaching God and always wants us to learn something new about Him.
So today I have 2 challenges for you. My first challenge for you is to learn something new about God today. Ask God to open your eyes to something new about Him. My second challenge for you is to extend grace and show agape love to someone you feel is attacking you. Give them the benefit of the doubt. Talk to them and let them know how you are feeling. Show them God's love and grace. Be forgiving if they have hurt you. I will be doing both of these in the next coming days. Will you?
For Him and For His Glory!
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