How’s Your Love Life?

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We’ve got this gift of love, but love is like a precious plant. You can’t just accept it, and leave it in the cupboard, or just think it’s going to get on by itself. You’ve got to keep watering it. You’ve got to really look after it and nurture it. ~ John Lennon

How’s your love life? No… not that. I mean the love you share with the world around you.

• Do you make conscious decisions to act in love, despite the circumstances?
• Can you set aside selfishness to respond with compassion and charity?
• Have you trained yourself to edify and encourage rather than gossip or rant?
• In other words, are you rooted and grounded in Love?

The Great Commandment and the example of Jesus is Love. He never said a cruel word, never reacted in anger or frustration. He didn’t judge or speak badly about anyone. When He did confront people or situations, it was at always at God’s instruction, not His own whim or human reaction. (How do I know? Because the Bible confirms that He only said what He heard His Father say and did what His Father told Him to do. See John 5:19)

Parables & Perspectives

I once saw Joyce Meyer demonstrate our usual view of the world. She held up a large magnifying glass, peered at the crowd and said, “I see you!” Then she took out a pair of oversized rose-colored sunglasses, put them on and held up a mirror. “I see me. Ah, don’t I look good?”

Then there’s the Parable of the Nail. Perhaps you’ve heard it.

An angry young boy lashed out at everyone with hurtful words. One summer at his grandparents, he was given a task. Every time he said something mean, his grandfather made him pound a big nail into a thick board. He couldn’t quit until the nail was all the way into the wood. After a dozen or more trips to the garage to take his frustrations out on those nails, he began to be more cautious with his words. He even apologized to his grandparents for the bad things he’d said.

Then his grandmother told him to go get the board. When he did, she sat him on the porch step and told him to pull out all those nails. Of course, it was a lot harder to get them out than to put them in! When he finally finished the task, she hugged him and said, “I forgive you because I love you, but I want you to know an apology is like pulling out one of those nails. That board will always have holes in it. It will never be the same. Please don’t put holes in people with your words.”

Sweet water and bitter…

The Apostle James asks the question, “Does a fountain send forth from the same place sweet water and bitter?” (James 3:11) Do you pray for peace in your life… then spout off in anger or frustration because something didn’t go the way you wanted? Is a sarcastic retort your favorite form of humor (despite the ‘nails’ it shoots)? Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not be so. (v.10)

To effectively walk in Love, we need to become aware of the words we speak, not just during our prayer time, but all the time. Sarcasm, gossip, condemnation and envy have no place in the mouths of God’s children.

You Have the Power

The Bible clearly explains that Christ (the anointing and connection to spiritual power) dwells in our hearts. It says we are “rooted and grounded in love so that we can know (practice, demonstrate) the love of Christ” (Eph. 3:16-18) In fact, the word ‘Christ’ means anointed one or ‘one sent or appointed’ (for a specific job or purpose). Since ‘Christ dwells in your heart’, you also are sent and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

You have the power within you to walk in love no matter what. Don’t believe me? Pay attention to the small decisions you make. Do you listen to the little quickening (an ‘uh-uh’ in your mind) that says ‘don’t say that’. That’s your cue to change your words – or don’t say them at all! It’s a split-second choice. Which way will you go?

I often find myself in conversations when I know I shouldn’t say something… but I do anyway. Or in traffic, when I talk to the drivers in other cars (yes, that counts, too.) Or maybe it’s a long check-out line where I’m mumbling my impatience and their incompetence. Or grumbling because my spouse (dearly loved!) is watching TV while I have to do everything!

Words are powerful. And most of us have no idea what effect those words, once released, create. What domino effect in the spirit world have we released with our griping, gossiping and complaining? What you sow… you will reap. Do you want that harvest?

A Life of Love…

The Word counsels us to make God’s kingdom – His way of doing things – our first priority, so that we can receive everything we desire in life. Seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides” (Matthew 6:33, AMP). If we want God’s best, then we must make His priorities our own. And His priority is Love.

Deep inside we know whether we’re giving God top priority or not. Sometimes we just plain forget to walk in love toward one another. We forget to make compassion our priority because we don’t keep it in the forefront of our thinking. I’d like to challenge you to put your words to the BPT test. Before you say it, ask yourself if your words are:

• A Blessing? – Some things just shouldn’t be said…
• Peaceful? – Does it contribute to harmony or create contention, pain or ill will?
• Truthful? – Gossip and exaggeration are unnecessary and possibly hurtful

If you will train yourself to pause before you speak and examine your words, your ‘love life’ will improve immensely!

So, how is your love life? Love is directly connected to blessing, protection, abundance, peace, joy – all the ‘things’ you want from life. Walk in love and you’ll keep your spiritual pipeline open to God’s best for you. Your love life will become a life you love.

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write by Rachael Morrison

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