Happy Valentine’s Day Partner and Friends! (Well, almost)

This time of the year we hear a lot about love. The world has its own interpretation of what love is. It sees love on such a very different level than how God actually sees love.  The world portrays love as a “something given, something earned” concept. If you love me, then I love you. If you give to me, then I give to you. But in God’s eyes, the God kind of love, love is given freely without any “strings attached” to it.  God’s love, when discussed in the bible is called the Agape love. Agape love is the highest level of love. It is the kind of love that gives and gives and gives and does not expect anything in return. It is unconditional love. It’s the highest and purest form of love that exists. You see the working of this love when God sent Jesus to die for us.  “For God so loved the World, that He gave His only begotten son.” (John 3:16)

Every day of our lives, God extends this hand of love to us. He extends this love to everyone. Not just those who are saved but to those who are not saved. Look at the above scripture, “God so loved the world…” That encompasses every living, breathing person on this earth. He loves and extends that love to them every day. Some accept that love, receive Him as their God, and receive Jesus as their savior; but others do not. Even upon being rejected, God still keeps extending love. God will always continue to extend His love because God is love; and in His great agape love, He loves His saved family and He loves those who are not yet saved. 

We, as His family, are asked to act like our Heavenly Father. How does our Heavenly Father act? He extends love, and not just any form of love, but agape love - unconditional love that gives without asking for anything in return. So, as children of God we are asked to extend love to those around us. We extend love to our family and our church family, but then, also like God, we extend love to the world around us. We extend love to those who don’t look, act, or think like us. We love unconditionally, always extending a hand of love to the lost and hurting world around us.  

I truly believe, champion partners and friends, if we would extend a hand of love to the world around us, we would see the change that God is looking for. We will first see the change in our lives; then that change will affect those around us. So, determine today that you will extend love to those around you and be the hand of God that loves.

-Coach Brim