Do we really know what love is? No. As humans we cannot even comprehend what love is. I am just starting to get a glimpse of the tremendous free gift that I have been given through Jesus Christ. It has been over 15 years since I've been saved, yet God has reached out lately and has been showing me how to get back to my first love(Revelation 2:5).
I was trying to find some more meaning in life than a feeling of just existing with no purpose and so in trying to "improve" my marriage, family life, circumstances, etc. I came across a series of seemingly unrelated events, where God has brought the love chapter(1 Corinthians 13) to my presence(people quoting it, books based off of it,blog-surfing). So, I started reading it over and over from the Bible. It was as if nothing happened, and I kept praying that I could manifest this type of love to others. Then a book I ordered arrived from where I trade books: Swap Books for Free - PaperBackSwap.com called The Way of Agape by Nancy Missler. She has a great article about it here: Knowing God Loves Us - The King's High Way Ministries.
I have only been able to get through the first 7 chapters so far, and just beginning to know, that God's love is the only way in which I could love my husband and family more than I have. (I know this should not be a huge revelation, yet God revealed it, so I will be a little transparent here and share it.)
I even have been given a dream from God, something I've never had done to me before. He even interpreted it to me and showed me how I had gone off course. It was so detailed I awoke almost weeping. I am in awe of just how God has arranged all the circumstances that he has in the last few weeks, in order to very personally get my attention.
ἀγάπη agape(love) Stongs G26
"He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." - {1 John 4:8 }"As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love." {John 15:9 }
"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." {1Corinthians 13:13 }
Blue Letter Bible. Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2010. 25 Oct 2010. < http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible>
All of these verses above use agape and 1 John 4:8 revealed to me about how I had been using human love to make my relationships work. It was rather startling to have that shown to me, because I thought I was manifesting Christ's love. Somewhere in time I replaced it with a system, and I was prompted to be vulnerable here and share it on my little corner of blogdom.
May someone else be blessed by this testimony and the word of God, and come to know Christ in a more intimate way as well.
