Loving Others With Agape

Loving Others With Agape

I have been stretched and pulled over the years to love my son who is a homosexual. At first this had been devastating to me. Now almost 7 years later God is still using this in my life to conform me to His image. More then a year ago God asked me if I was loving my son. Yes, I was. I love the sinner but not the sin was my mantra. I was content with that. I felt that I was making a choice to love that God would be pleased with. This sinner is my son after all. Then God asked if I loved his partner. No I did not. I never meet him nor spoke to him. God asked me if that was love. Here is where I found out where my love ended and God's agape love needed to begin. A while after this I called my son repenting of how little I truly loved him and how I never loved his partner and I needed to love them better. I began to reach out, however awkwardly. This relationship ended and I felt relieved to not have to be stretched in this area.

Forward to Christmas. Michael wanted to come home for Christmas. Great! Then came the question, can I bring a friend? God apparently wanted me to love more-again! I was afraid and I was hesitant but within boundaries, yes, they could come home for Christmas. I prayed to have the love of Jesus for them. I prayed for that love because my flesh can't manufacture the love I would need. To make a long story short I found myself loving my son and this other young man more then I thought I ever could. I delighted in seeing that my son has matured a bit. I delighted in the respect I was given. I delighted in their company! I delighted that God will give us this agape love when we allow Him to love through us.
Now as I am studying God's love in a bible study I realize some of what God has done in and for me. As I look at God's agape love I read: "Agape love is not fueled by the desire of its recipient; it is fueled by the need. For God so (agape) the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16 Agape means God did what humanity most needed- He pursued in us that which was highest and best." Pg 59- Living Beyond Yourself by Beth Moore Weren't you and I in the same position as my son and his friend are now? Weren't we desperately needy? Needy of the agape of God? God's agape wasn't given to me because I desired it. "But God demonstrates His own love (agape) toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 How and why could I demonstrate love to Michael and his friend? Because just like me I had a desperate need for a Savior and they need Jesus too.

Kathy is on staff fulltime at the Keswick Book and Gift Shop. She is married to her husband, Dave and has two adult children. Kathy is active in her local church and has previously served as a Teaching Director for Community Bible Study. Her passion is the Word of God and encouraging women to dig deeper into the truths of the Bible.