God’s Love: What Does It Look Like?

Recently, I had an interaction with a close person which brought about a vivid illustration of what God’s love or agape love looks like, including how to explain and understand the steadfast love of God to those who have never experienced it before.

“But what does it look like?” That’s what he said to me after I tried to explain to him the love-based solution to his specific problem. I then tried again to explain God’s love from a different angle, but still got the same reply, “But what does love look like?” Frustrated, I then shared from a completely different point of view what I believed it looked like; only to get the same response, “But what does it look like? I don’t know what it looks like.”

Finally, it clicked in my mind of what he was trying to say. He wasn’t saying that he wanted me to explain with my words of what I believed love looks like. But instead, what he was saying to me was that he had never seen what love looks like, being that he was raised in a home where love was not known. And thus, it wouldn’t have mattered how many times I would’ve had to explain it to him, for he would have just interpreted God’s great love, through the eyes of the toxic environment in which he grew up in.

That’s why in I John 1 verse 1 the Bible says, “That…which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life.” Yes, it is important for people to hear what love looks like. For hearing the presentations and having the one-on-one conversations are important. But, what is even more important is for people to be able to see, look upon and experience what love looks like! They long to hear the intonations of love as revealed in the voice. They long to see the loving interactions between one another. They wish to look upon the facial expressions that reveal only love. They dream to one day, experience what love looks like; for to them, actions speaks louder than words! This is the reason why Christ Jesus didn’t say, “come to my seminar and sit in my class so that you can hear what love looks like, and then I’ll see you later.” No, instead he said, “follow me, so that you can see what God’s love looks like!” It’s the transition from human love to divine love that truly matters.

Because sin has caused the love of many to grow cold in this world, there are now many people who are crying out for someone to show them what unconditional love looks like! They truly hunger to see God’s loving kindness reproduced in human flesh! The greatest need in this world is to see the character of the Lord Jesus Christ, to behold Christian love reproduced in His people!

Even as sinners, you can find fulfillment in this need for love, if you would just look upon the unselfish love that God has for you! You can be the hands of love that holds the hands of one dying all alone in the hospital. You can be the feet of love carrying the parentless child through foster care. You can be the voice of love speaking up for the oppressed and abused of society. You can be the life of love showing to the hurting, the divine love of God that will heal them of their broken hearts! I want to share the best kind of unfailing love, how about you?

-Keala