Miraculous Agape-Powered Relationships

For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior (a true matter of the heart): faith expressed in love.—Galatians 5:6, The Message God has made numerous promises regarding the power of faith. Faith can move mountains. Faith can heal diseases. Faith can receive answers to prayers. Nothing is impossible with faith. Yet, many know the power of faith and still are not seeing many positive results in terms of the "quality of their relationships." I have a friend who fasted for 27 days wanting the supernatural power of God, and at the end, all he got was skinny. But over that incident and many years of searching, it came down to the revelation that miraculous faith is birthed through supernatural agape love. James says faith without works is dead, and equally, faith without love is dead (James 2:20). Below are some key points to love and relationships in the Kingdom: Love's First Step is Relationship Once we realize the power of Father's agape love through Christ, we must now extend His love to others. His love actually becomes the fuel for relational desire. It becomes the active ingredient in each of us to know how much we need each other. God becomes a friend to us that sticks closer than a brother, and as ambassadors of His love, we become that type of friend to others. Love Yourself First Do you love who you are in Christ? God loves you, and He wants you to love yourself in His love, and not the world's version of self-love. This Godly perspective impacts greatly our capacity to love others. We must realize how wonderfully made we are, understand our limitations, and fully embrace God's unlimited power within us. We are people who carry sparks of the Divine Kingdom within us. When we trust that God unconditionally loves and embraces us, we can befriend ourselves and reach out to others in loving relationships. Significance of Our Presence There are places in our own hearts that we ourselves cannot see. Even when we know a lot about ourselves, like our gifts, weaknesses, or motives, a large part of ourselves remain in the shadow of consciousness. Other people, especially those who love us, can often see those areas better than we ourselves can. We will never fully know the significance of our presence in the lives of our friends. That's a grace that calls us not only to humility but also to a deep trust in God and in the relationships He desires to establish with others. The Currency of the Kingdom is Relationship The currency of the Kingdom is relationship and the currency of relationship is conversation. The quality of our conversations directly influences the quality of our relationships. Sharing of hearts is transformational, beginning with God and extending to others. People near you want to engage in meaningful conversation with you, and a conversation that flows well both ways can harvest a relationship that reveals God's glory. Be a Good Friend To have good friends you need to be a good friend. It is foundational on love as a never-ending commitment. Are you a servant in the relationship, and look out for their best interests? Patience and understanding is needed during tough times. Being friendly with a genuinely cheerful outlook matters. People like to be around positive people. At the end of the day, true friends become family. Friends are Easy and Always A friend is a safe harbor who is often God's messenger of His grace and healing in the most critical of times. A friend is a person with whom we can share our solitude, our silence, and our prayer. A friend is the person we share our most intimate secrets with, or nothing at all. With a friend we don't have to say or do anything special. With a friend we can be still and know that God is there with both of us. Agape Ambassadors See Strength Hidden in Weakness Who has time for a hurting friend when it is easier to be with the healthy ones? "Newsflash!" We all are part of the imperfect tribe called humanity. When we errantly dismiss people, we hinder their growth by ignoring gifts that are often buried in their wounds. Agape Ambassadors know that strength is hidden in weakness, and that true community is a fellowship of the weak with a very strong God. Touch of Healing As conversation bridges relationships and connects hearts, touch becomes a powerful expression of that love. Babies receive a lot of touch, and less as they grow older. Touch often gives more life than words. A warm handshake, a hug, or a kiss can be powerful moments that can restore, forgive, and heal. Everyone who touched Jesus and everyone whom Jesus touched were healed. God's incarnate love and power went out from Him and goes out from us to heal one another. Community is Not a Talent Show Community is not a talent show in which we dazzle the world with our combined gifts of intelligence, health and wealth. In true community there can be many forms of poverty beyond economics, such as bankruptcy in spiritual, emotional, and physical health. New life comes from acknowledging one another, and the richness that comes from needs being met through the sharing of each other's lives. Start Today in Building Safe Environments Built on Agape Love We can begin to ask the Lord how we are doing as a friend first to Him, then how we are doing in being a friend to others based on God's value of who we are. As we take assessments of those we are called to love and befriend, which includes spouses, family, and children, we can begin to move in His strength and not our own. Watch the miraculous take place as we move in faith that is expressed fully in His love that is within each of us. Robert Ricciardelli