WEEKLY PURSUIT with Ryan

Helping you pursue God, people, and purpose - one step at a time.

Hey friend,

It feels like we live in a world that has forgotten how to disagree without becoming enemies.

Scroll through social media for five minutes and you'll see it.

Political divisions.
Cultural divisions.
Religious divisions.
Generational divisions.

Everybody has an opinion.
Everybody has a side.
And everybody seems to be looking for someone to blame.

We're becoming really good at identifying who's wrong...

And really bad at remembering that they're still people.

But what if Jesus has given us a different approach?

Not a louder approach.
Not a more defensive approach.
Not a "win the argument at all costs" approach.

An agape approach.

The Greek word agape is often translated as "love," but it's so much bigger than a feeling.

Agape is selfless, sacrificial action for the betterment of another.

It doesn't ask, "Do they deserve my love?"
It asks, "What would love require of me?"

That's the kind of love Jesus modeled.

It's easy to love people who agree with us.
Easy to love people who vote like us.
Easy to love people who think like us.
Easy to love people who love us back.

But Jesus takes it a step further.

"Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." - Matthew 5:44

That's not sentimental love.
That's sacrificial love.
That's agape.

And here's what makes this so challenging:

Agape doesn't require agreement.

You can disagree with someone and still honor them.
You can believe someone is wrong and still want what's best for them.
You can set boundaries and still love.
You can speak truth without losing tenderness.
You can refuse to compromise your convictions without allowing your convictions to become an excuse for cruelty.

Because the goal of following Jesus isn't simply to be right.
​It's to become more like Jesus.

And Jesus never used truth as a weapon to prove His superiority.
He used truth to bring people toward redemption.

I wonder what would happen if Christians became known less for what we're against...
And more for the way we love.

What if our neighbors experienced us as people who serve without expecting anything in return?
What if our coworkers experienced us as people who genuinely wanted their good?
What if the people we disagree with knew that, even though we don't see eye-to-eye, we were still praying for them?
What if we stopped asking, "How can I win this?"

And started asking...

"How can I love this person well?"

Because love doesn't mean ignoring truth.

Love means letting truth be carried by the character of Christ.

The world already knows how to divide.
The world already knows how to cancel.
The world already knows how to attack.

What the world desperately needs to see is a different way.
An alternative approach.

The agape approach.

Weekly Resources

Sent People Stay Hungry SENT | Week 2 In Week 2 of our SENT series, we look at the Israelites in Exodus 16 and the early church in Antioch in Acts 11. Israel had witnessed miracle after miracle - God delivered them from Egypt, parted the Red Sea, provided water, and continued to provide for them. But eventually, what once amazed them became ordinary. Available on Youtube

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen rests in ‘relationship with Jesus Christ’ Sports Spectrum - sportsspectrum.com Read Here

So here's my challenge for you this week:

Think of one person you disagree with.

Not someone you already like.
Not someone who makes loving them easy.

Someone who frustrates you.
Someone you don't understand.
Someone who sees the world differently than you do.

And instead of asking, "How do I change their mind?"

Ask...

"How can I seek their good?"

Maybe it's a conversation.
Maybe it's forgiveness.
Maybe it's serving them.
Maybe it's praying for them.
Maybe it's simply choosing not to respond in anger.

Because agape love isn't about how we feel about someone.
It's about what we're willing to do for their good.

In a divided world...
Let's take a different approach.

Let's love like Jesus.

Praying,
Ryan