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“A more perfect ἀγάπη”? John says this is our “raison d’etre”…
I think I know how
I’ve been going wrong. I tend to focus my ἀγάπη
on those I hope to influence. John says we need to re-focus our efforts…off of sinners
and unto God. Ἀγάπη doesn’t look so much like preaching,
evangelizing, witnessing or other spiritual disciplines. Ἀγάπη looks like “loving God obediently”.
I think this is
why Paul says “I
am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to
everyone who believes”. The
power to save is not in me…as the storyteller. It is in the story (of Christ)
itself. If I expend my energy loving God
obediently the testimony will be so powerful it cannot be ignored.
Now, obedience may
entail preaching, evangelizing, witnessing or other spiritual disciplines but
only if our obedience to God directs us that way. I hope we understand the
difference. Preaching…or, teaching, or witnessing, or evangelizing…as acts of
obedience to God will always be more fruitful than preaching as an act of human
devotion.
If somebody asks
me why I am in the ministry my answer should be “I’m not sure…it’s where God and I ended up”. The same could be said
of teaching English or flying airplanes. I understand God often sets out
markers that we recognize as “His will”.
I’m convinced, more often, God says “let’s
take a walk and see where we end up”.
“Can two walk together unless they agree?”
I’m going to step
out on a limb and suggest…if we aren’t seeing significant fruit (people coming to faith in Christ) as a
result of our obedience…we’re probably being “lovingly obedient” to ourselves more than to God.
It shouldn’t be a
source of discouragement. It should motivate us toward a more obedient love of
God…“A more perfect ἀγάπη”…whatever
that looks like.
Live boldly out there today…
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