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.