Agape love

Passion flower and fern from our back yard. The boys picked them for me. Wasn't that sweet?

I have been reviewing a Galatians study that I did along with my church a couple of years ago. It is life changing. I was looking at the definitions of the fruits of the Spirit. I got stuck on the very first one. It says:

"Agape"- love

Definition: To serve a person for their good and intrinsic value, not for what the person brings you.
Opposite: Fear, self-protection and abusing people.
Counterfeit: Selfish affection. Rescuing someone but really rescuing self. Attracted not to person, but to how this person's love makes you feel about yourself.


How counter-cultural is that counterfeit definition? I wonder how many times I have heard someone say they love someone because of how they make them feel about themselves. I never thought of that statement as a selfish one. But I think it is true that if you love someone (spouse, friend, family) for their intrinsic value and not for what that person brings to you, then the counterfeit definition is true. Hmm, food for thought.