(2) We seek Him through prayer: "'Then you will call upon me and
come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,' declares the Lord" (Jeremiah 29:12–14, NIV).
(3) We seek to serve Him: "Always give yourselves fully to the work
of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:58, NIV). "He will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them" (Hebrews 6:10, NIV).
Agape love is the greatest motivation to become involved in evangelism and missions, as we seek to share God's love with a lost world.
2. If the inquirer is a Christian who has problems in loving a fellow Christian, point out that we only begin to understand God's love as we reach out in love to each other:
A. It is a command of God to love our fellow Christians: "Be devoted to
one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves" (Romans 12:10, NIV).
B. Because God has loved us, we should be able to love regardless of
the worthiness of the object of our love: ". . . because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (Romans 5:5). Share the outline in the "Background" on the dimensions of agape love: respect, care, and responsibility.
Billy Graham says: "The fruit of the Spirit is love. I cannot love on my own, I cannot have joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance by myself. There is no one who has the ability to really love . . . until he really comes to Christ. Until the Holy Spirit has control of one's life, he doesn't have the power to love."
C. Point out that love doesn't demonstrate itself automatically; it is a
learned, practiced behavior. The more we love, and the more deeply we love, the more love is perfected in us:
(1) Prayer for others stimulates a deeper love for them.
(2) Acts of kindness, service, and sacrifice add the dynamic dimension
to love. "Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another" (Romans 12:10). "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not
proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13:4–8,
NIV).
Scripture
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13, NIV).
"Let us have no imitation Christian love. Let us have a genuine hatred for evil and a real devotion to good. Let us have real warm affection for one another as between brothers, and a willingness to let the other man have the credit" (Romans 12:9–10, PHILLIPS).
"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved" (Ephesians 2:4–5, NIV).
"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him" (1 John 3:1, NIV).
"No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us" (1 John 4:12, NIV).
Other suggested Scriptures:
Matthew 22:37, NIV
MARRIAGE, ANTICIPATING
Background
Marriage is the most serious long-term contract a couple will make in their lifetime, but many enter into it with a lack of maturity and knowledge. The growing number of divorces shows how imperative it is that young people be adequately prepared for marriage.
Here are a few helpful principles for prospective marriage partners:
• A good marriage is not "made in heaven," but on earth. Love is a fragile commodity which needs to be cultivated and nourished constantly. Of course, those intending to marry should look to God for His guidance, but the success of the marriage will be largely dependent on the couple and their efforts in response to God's leading.
• A good marriage is not based on idealism, but on reality. The Cinderella syndrome where every girl finds a prince and "lives happily ever after" is usually just a fairy tale. Far too many marry with unrealistically high expectations, and then spend years suffering and adjusting—if they stay together at all.
• A good marriage is based on respect for oneself and for the partner. A poor self-image, inherited from a stressful home background or the product of immaturity, can lead to stormy seas. A solid relationship with Jesus Christ and an understanding of oneself in the light of that relationship are very important.
A poor understanding of each other can also lead to misunderstanding and conflict. It doesn't take too much discernment to realize that males and females are different physically, but how many anticipate that their partnerto-be is just as different emotionally and mentally? Each partner must realize this and be prepared to make the necessary allowances and adjustments. "He created them male and female, and blessed them" (Genesis 5:2).
• A marriage where there are similarities in the partners has a better chance to succeed. This means:
* The same religious background
* Similar cultural and social backgrounds
* Comparable economic levels
* Equal educational advantages