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Unconditional Love
By Patrice Tsague
The Nehemiah Project
Tue, Jun. 16 2009 09:53 AM MST
faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. I Corinthians 13:13
There are three types of love found in the Greek language to which the Bible
makes reference: Eros love, a love that is expressed through physical and
sexual desire; Philos love, an esteem and affection found in casual friendship;
Agape love, love based on the deliberate choice of the one who loves rather
than the worthiness of the one who is loved. This type of love goes
against our natural instinct and is best demonstrated by the love that Christ
expressed for us by dying on the cross for our sins. Biblical Entrepreneurs are
called to express this type of love to their customers, employees, and all of
those they encounter in business. This type of love is called
unconditional love, a love that is expressed without conditions or
expectations. Agape is a love that is undeserved and could not be
purchased by the recipient. It is a love that is sacrificial and,
therefore, Christ-like. Loving your customers this way will increase your
bottom line and make you a more effective witness for Christ before them.
Loving your employees this way will increase their fulfillment on the job and
their loyalty to the company. How does one express this type of love,
especially to people who are undeserving and unappreciative?
The following four points will help you express unconditional love:
1. Make Christ the object of your love and not the person -
As you express love to individuals focus on Christ and let the individual be
the mere beneficiary of your love for Christ.
2. Put your love above their actions - If you focus on
individuals’ actions, you will find many reasons not to love them since they
are imperfect beings. Raise your love above what they may or may not do
to you.
3. Remember that Christ died for them - For God so loved the
world that He sent Jesus to die for sinners like you and me. No matter
how bad individuals behave, just remember the price that Christ paid for
them. Would you want to be the reason they do not embrace the Gospel?
4. Christ commands you to love - Jesus was asked by someone
what the greatest commandment is. His response was, “Love the Lord
your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your
mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is
like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets
hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40). Your neighbor could be
your customer or your employee.
Since this type of love is so demanding, are there any benefits to it?
Yes there are. Some of the key benefits of expressing this type of love
include:
· You are being obedient to the Father
· It never fails
· It conquers fear
· It enhances your communication
· It is profitable
· It enhances your self-worth
· You are emulating Christ
Copyright © 2009 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
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