there is no "because" in agape

Okay, so i am doing The Love Dare.(the story of how this came to be is a blog post i need to write and am just praying for the humility to do so!) So far it's been eye opening in some ways,and a good reminder in others. since i am praying for God to show me new things in our time together every day, i guess i shouldn't be too surprised to find that He is today helping me to look at His Agape love in a different way. This is a concept i've been taught on and been familiar with most of my life, but i think this is the first time i've really looked at it in these terms. i've always known it was unconditional, because God Himself is unconditional and eternal and perfect. i've known we can't earn it- a favorite quote from Peter Furler that i've heard him say dozens of times "There is nothing you can do to make God love you more, nothin you can do to make him love you less." i guess i never really thought about other implications of that fact. specifically that it has nothing to do with us or our attributes that He loves us and we are to love others this same way- not because of the things we love about them, because if those were to all change and fade away we'd be left with nothing to love about this person and particularly in marriage that's deadly. instead, we are to love as God loves- because we choose to. maybe you know all this, maybe it's a simple concept- as i type it seems like something that i should have gotten a long time ago, but somehow it seems so new- maybe i;ve never really applied it this way mentally- maybe because there are a million things i love about Scott i've never thought about them not existing. maybe because i;ve proved myself so unlovable over the past few years i am struck anew by the wonder of God;s unconditional love for me and the way he's displayed it through my husband. All i know is i am in wonder right now. i want to love this way. I want to love not because of what i can get from a relationship, but because i've chosen to. i want to give others what God has given me.

Father, today i am struck anew by the wonder of your unconditional love. You've lit a fire in me- a desire to love the people You've put in my life- even the hard to love ones- not because of who they are or what they give me but because of who You are and what You have given me. Father, please renew this in me daily. please let me not slide into old selfish ways of thinking about relationships, give me all i need to love like You do. let me glorify You through the way i love others.