When Agape is Turned Inward
LUST IS AGAPE TURNED INWARD
We have erroneously been taught that we are to love God first, then ourselves and lastly, others. The scriptures read in such a way that this implication may be there, but it is not. We so desperately want what we want…and we want it as quickly as we can get it, before anyone else sucks up what we think brings life to us.
Selfishness is being full of ourselves…and nothing else. Everything in life (and hopefully in heaven) points to me, me, me. The existence of everyone is only for our benefit. Even the way we approach people, avoiding conflict and confrontation is the protection of ourselves; not love for someone else. Fear is birthed out of protecting ourselves. Why chance leaving our protection to God? He may not do it the way we think He should.
We must be honest with ourselves concerning the truth concerning God and His Love versus our love. Even though we misread the concept about loving our neighbor as ourself, the thought should present a selfless love. Yet our demonstration of love toward our neighbor is based upon their reception of our demonstration, or something else we can get out of it which is beneficial to us. It may just be the “good feeling” of having helped someone. The irony of it all is the thought that when others bring pain to us, the statement may be made that we love them but do not like or trust them anymore. We forgive them but forget them.
While the trust factor and such may be a reality in our life, the motivation behind this has more to do with not wanting to interact with an individual in an effort to avoid us pain…not to bring them any love. In all honesty, few people that are loved by us in this way rarely receive prayers and intercession flooded with our undying love for them. Rather it is an execution of prayers that will cause them to get right before God while we gleefully watch the process.
Brothers and sisters: This is not Agape, as described in scripture. It is love de-scribed by the carnal nature of man. We do not like the word “lust”…and we often associate it with inappropriate behavior, but lust is agape turned inward. It has to do with what we want and not what others want or need.
I will never forget the wonderful outpouring of humanity towards the victims of Hurricane Keatrina. I am more familiar with it because it happened in my region. Churches opened their doors to all people, regardless of race or creed.
However, as the cleanup began, churches did not want to continue in any level of relationship with these people who did not fit into their doctrinal or racial category. They were not interested in them attending their churches or living in their neighborhood. What was sold as Agape was really lust…a display of humanity, not godliness.
We see this selfishness displayed throughout our homes, our neighborhoods, and sadly, in our ministries. Even as we watch the sudden overturning of the change of terms, Kingdom now takes center stage as a badge to prove we are on the same page of the FAD; however, not on the same page with God.
There is absolutely no way to give our entire self to God and love ourself out-side of complete love for Him. Our wants, our desires and even what we consider our needs are irrelevant. The scripture says that unless we are willing to lay our life down, we cannot be His disciple. Yet our doctrine has changed to fulfilling all the lusts that keep us happy, comfortable and our needs met. We then give an occasional tip to God reminding Him we still exist. We also thank Him for those favors He has sent our way…and look for the next time He will meet our wants. We have the audacity to call this prosperity. It is the lowest level of poverty that exists.
We praise and worship God when all is going according to the desires of our flesh, yet curse Him when things are not going so well.
It is in this season that we must be honest concerning revival and our desire for it. Is it a selfish desire that will expedite the return of comfort and convenience rather than the laboring of entering Father’s rest to see His word expanding the Kingdom? Face it! Authentic intercession and selflessly loving His people is hard work…and the results take years…not days.
Revival will not solve our problems. Learning Agape and being completely yielded to Father will. In an authentic walk with God, who is Love, requires losing the right to ourselves! (Matthew 12:29-34)
(Jesus Christ is always unyielding to my claim to my right to myself. – Oswald Chambers)
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