Agape

Tomorrow is Valentines Day. There will be alot of talk about love. We see this word thrown around alot in our world. I’m not sure many people really understand love, especially God’s love. The word “agape” is often translated as love in the New Testament.

⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

The word “agape” does not reflect sexual or romantic love nor is it a reflection of friendship or brotherly/sisterly love. “Agape” love is a willful focus of purposeful love. It requires commitment and faithfullness that overcomes all circumstances. Agape love never gives up.

Agape love is becoming rarer and rarer these days. But, every once in awhile there are times when we know we have just experienced this kind of love. This happened yesterday.

Once a year I need to renew my Sirius XM Radio. I’ve been a customer for ten years. Every year it’s been a pain. I don’t look forward to it. Suffice it to say I am a little grumpy when I make the call. Yesterday was different. I called the Sirius XM Canada Customer Retention line expecting another annoying phone call.

Instead, I had a wonderful conversation with a gal in Egypt! Yes, Egypt! It’s crazy. I complained to her that I have to make this call every year and it would be nice if we could just set my yearly rate and automatically renew in order to avoid making the call. Her reply preciptated a wonderful conversation.

Her name is May. She says to me, “You know I totally understand where you are coming from but I wanted you to know that your needing to call me enables me to keep my job. So THANK YOU!” This was totally disarming and I found myself agreeing and my enitre perspective changed. Her intentional kindness and gratitidue for her job led to a great conversation about gratititude, (we exchanged resources) and even became Instagram friends.

I found myself reflecting after, “I wish we could all talk to each other like this.”

She further went on to say that she purposfully asked to work only with Canadians because in her experience we are the kindest people she has worked with. Wow! I thanked her again and said, “I look forward to connecting in a year!”

This valentines day love your spouse or significant other. More than that though, show more agap love. Seek people out with that kind of love just as God seeks you.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY TOMORROW!

Stacey