The Fruit of The Spirit: Love

When you think of love, what comes to mind? What forms your understanding of this word and all it encompasses?

In looking at the Fruit of the Spirit, love heads the list. As we go on, it becomes apparent that all of the qualities listed are interwoven. They are interdependent and define one another. It is the fruit of the Spirit, not fruits. A singular fruit, not plural.

As we experience God, spend time with him, get to know him, learn about him, we increase in all these qualities.

If my goal is to love God with all my heart, soul, strength and mind. To obey him by loving others as I love myself.  I desire to emulate his qualities as an act of worship. It is a natural response to who He is. To reach this goal, I must define it.


At the head of the list of fruit in Galatians is love. What is ideal I am reaching for? In the original Greek the word used in the Galatians passage is agape.

Agape love is a pure love that is always seeking the best of the other. Agape love is total and unconditional. It is not dependent on the actions, feelings or behavior of the other. It devotes total commitment to actively pursue the others ultimate best, no matter the response. Agape love is completely selfless, other focused. It does not change no matter what the circumstances. This is the original and only true form of love.

In Christianity Agape is considered to be the love originating from God or Christ for humankind.  Matt 3:17, Mark 10:21. In the New Testament, it refers to the covenant love of God for humans, as well as the human reciprocal love for God; the term necessarily extends to the love of one's fellow man.

This is the love we are called to exhibit through the Holy Spirit and his work in our lives. This is the love we are called to extend to our faith family and all people around us.

Anyone else feeling woefully lacking?!?  Yikes!

This is a high call.

I don't know about you, but most of the time, I feel bogged down in the mud.

While I aspire to exhibit the fullness of agape love as God has given me, I recognize my limits.

I am not able to love this way on my own.

I want to. With all my heart I want to!

If I am really honest with myself, I know I am not able on own.

That is why to increase in this kind of love, I do not only focus on demonstrating this kind of love. I focus on experiencing God, as I receive His love for me, it flows out to others. To merely act loving is not enough. This kind of love flows from the heart and soul of our being.  It only happens as we are transformed by the Holy Spirit as we experience the presence of God through the moments of every day.

The biblical definition of love is found in Corinthians. As we compare we find that many of the qualities that define love in Corinthians are the qualities listed in the Galatians chapter describing the fruit of the Spirit. These characteristics are inseparable.

As I grow in love, I will grow in joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I may not see the growth from day to day or week to week, but over years, decades, these qualities should come to define me.

As I seek to love others unconditionally, as I strive to seek their best, I am desiring to extend to others the love God has extended to me. This kind of love is only possible through the Holy Spirit. The more I understand God's love for me, the more I am able to give that same love to another.

In what ways do we need to understand God love so that we can extend it to others without reservation?