Advancing Encouragement By:
Bishop James Jr. Hairston

1John:4:16: And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him.

What is love? Or the question is can you love, can anybody love with the proper love. In the English literature people use the word love for almost everything they like. How can you love ice cream like you love people? Yet, the love for ice-cream and the love for people are used in the same breath. There are differences’ of love and the one love that is in this text is agape’ love. Agape’ love is a benevolent or charitable love which means to love someone as a free gift even when they do not love you back. As a matter of fact agape’ is a love feast a feast of charitable love in it’s meaning, it is overflowing and it never runs out, it keeps on coming and coming! Get this; don’t you know that charitable love is unconditional? When you give to a little hungry child are you thinking about their behavior? No, you are thinking about how I can get this child something to eat! This is called sacrificial love giving without conditions! God gave Jesus Christ without putting conditions on the world sacrificially and morally, John 3:16! Why, He saw a need and He gave it; the world was without the expression and act of sacrificial love. Therefore, God is love and He has this love towards us. He loves us without conditions and He gives even when we do not appreciate what He has to offer. How much have you given to people who did not even appreciate you for all of the love you have shown. God said he that dwells in agape’ love dwells in God and God dwells in you… Without God we cannot truly love why, the power to love like God only comes from God. Hence, even when we don’t even treat ourselves with love, God love us unconditionally. We cannot escape the love of God towards us and for us. Have you ever received something and it was too much to receive you could not receive it anymore; your cup was running over onto the floor. Wow, that is the love of God for you and you can be assured that you are loved and you can feel the same way towards yourself, to love yourself unconditionally with high esteem when no one else loves you! However, with all of this love going around it is time to go out to love someone with the same intensity and show them that you genially and genuinely love them with agape’ love. This is who you are a person of love and while the world is celebrating Valentines Day you can celebrate Agape Day AND EVERY DAY IS AGAPE DAY IN Jesus name…

James Jr. Hairston