Love is patient,
Love is kind.
It does not envy,
It does not boast,
It is not proud.
It does not dishonor others,
It is not self-seeking,
It is not easily angered,
It keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects,
Always trusts,
Always hopes,
Always perseveres.
Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13,
4-8.
Ask a group of 10 people what love means to them and you will likely get 10 different definitions.
There are many different types of people in this world,
All with different experiences and this tends to color our definitions of love.
How do we walk in love when there are so many obstacles we face daily?
It can be challenging to walk in love due to lack of self-awareness,
Triggers,
Or just the product of an off day.
The thing about love is that it is not a feeling.
Love is a choice.
It requires us to choose the high road even when we would rather not.
It is a choice that sets aside our feelings and emotions for the good of others.
It has a domino effect as well.
A chain reaction occurs the second we decide to lead with love rather than resentment and a bad attitude.
Choosing love starts with our minds.
If we have a root of bitterness,
It affects how we think,
Thus affecting our actions.
That is why it is so important to get to the root of issues in our lives.
We need to uproot whatever it is within us that is causing tension and creating a block that is prohibiting us from walking in love.
Walking in love requires discipline,
Being self-aware and also taking thoughts captive.
What does this mean?
Instead of allowing thoughts to just swirl around in our minds,
It is important that we understand what we are thinking and from where these thoughts stem.
If we have a root of offense in some area or feel triggered by something,
It is important to make a note of this when these thoughts arise.
We can start by practicing forgiveness on a daily basis until it becomes a habit.
This might seem overwhelming or time-consuming,
But it is so key in leading with love.
Simply making a conscious effort to release people minute by minute who have offended you is a practical place to begin.
Love always perseveres.
Love never fails.
We may not always get it right and there will be many times when we do not lead with love.
The important thing is that we persevere.
It is exciting to realize that we can literally train our brains to choose love over offense or bitterness.
Our minds are generally slanted towards a more pessimistic outlook so it is key that we make a conscious effort to remain optimistic even in the little things.
The thing about joy is that like love,
It is not a feeling but a heart posture.
It is a feeling.
Joy will not come unless we have our sights fixed on something permanent and unwavering.
In order to maintain joy,
We must also be free from offense and be learning to walk in forgiveness daily.
This is the foundation of a soft heart.
Of course,
We will have days when we do not extend grace or love to others as much as we should.
May we be reminded on who we have to fall upon and may that knowledge give us supernatural strength.
Consider it pure joy,
My brothers and sisters,
That when you face trials of many kind because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
James 1 through 3.
This scripture lets us know that all of the struggles of life will ultimately lead to resilience through the strengthening of faith.
When we see the end result is everything good,
This produces a lasting joy.
Happiness is fleeting.
It is based on feelings,
Circumstances,
And instant gratification.
Joy does not strive,
Chase,
Seek,
Or depend on anything.
Joy is not a destination.
It is a state of being,
An anchor.
Joy is eternal and happiness is external.
We can control living in joy by choice and by focusing on the fact that our Creator is always good.
Joy is a bedrock but happiness wavers.
By continuously searching through our anxieties and trials for His face,
We walk by faith and dwell in joy.
Knowing that throughout it all,
Our Creator is good in every situation.
We can be sure of one thing.
We are never punished with evil.
Sometimes because of the free will that we are given as humans,
Things happen to us and around us that are outside our control.
This is not a punishment but the result of a world that has fallen from Eden.
Giving thanks and gratitude in the middle of the storm is a way to produce a well of joy.
Through worship of the Creator,
This creates space for joy and pushes out fear.
Joy escapes most of us for most of our lives because we are not seeing ourselves through our Creator's eyes.
It can be hard to fathom because of the chaos we see in the world.
However,
This absolutely does not change what is true.
Joy is where I have my eyes fixed,
On my Creator.
It is a supernatural gift of the Spirit.
If we have a shifting gaze on momentary happiness,
We will never experience true joy.
The most awesome thing is that the world cannot give joy and the world cannot take it away.
Joy does take an amount of trust as well.
We know that our Creator is good and we can trust 100% in that.
It is a sure foundation.
Titus 3,
4-7 says,
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,
He saved us,
Not because of righteous things we had done,
But because of His mercy.
He saved us through the washing and rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
Whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,
So that having been justified by His grace,
We might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
This verse sums up hope for this lifetime perfectly.
The first thing that appeared was the kindness of God freely gifted.
It was through His kindness and love that He saved us.
Webster's 1828 dictionary defines kindness as a temper or disposition which delights in contributing to the happiness of others,
Which is exercised cheerfully in gratifying their wishes,
Supplying their wants or alleviating their distresses,
Benignity of nature,
Kindness ever accompanies love.
The reminder that kindness ever accompanies love is transformational.
This matches up exactly with what we see in Titus pointing to God's love and kindness.
We cannot have one without the other.
Kindness is an outpouring of love.
To me,
It differs from gentleness in that first we must be kind in order to be gentle.
We must have a forgiving heart that leads to kindness and a spirit of gentleness.
Kindness takes humility.
Kindness requires us to serve in our actions and in our words.
It comes from a place that is free of criticism.
Having a servant's heart is the goal.
This may not always be second nature to us as we usually have a selfish bent.
Humility takes practice.
Kindness can also lead to reconciliation.
This can take place within our own hearts or in conflict resolution with each other.
A kind word or deed can dissolve a previous conflict.
When we show someone the grace of God,
It melts away tension and creates space for joy and abundance.
Kindness is life giving.
Thirdly,
Kindness is preceded by forgiveness.
Forgiveness and releasing our offense towards people is one of the hardest things we can do.
Sometimes we love hanging on to resentment,
But it is helpful to identify what the root cause of this is.
It keeps us prisoner and bound to a spirit of anger,
Allowing no growth.
Showing kindness is like showing the face of Christ.
It is powerful and contagious.
It changes us.
If we choose to be offended by others on a regular basis,
We will have pushed out all semblance of kindness from our heart.
Sometimes people do act in a harsh or unfeeling manner oftentimes without even knowing it.
So it is our own personal job not to let offense take root.
Forgiveness leads to release,
Which produces gratitude,
Which exercises kindness and leads to true joy.
Just as it is important to show loving kindness to others,
We must first show ourselves the kindness for which our souls long.
This is made possible by immersing ourselves in the truth that our creators first thought of us was to show kindness and eternal life.
Kindness to ourselves helps to remind us of God's love for us,
Our destiny,
And our worth.
If we can truly absorb the knowledge that He shows us nothing but true love and kindness,
Our hearts will be transformed.
