Most people are familiar with this definition of Love from 1 Corinthians 13 in the bible. But very few people actually follow it or are able to live up to it. I'm sure most of us try to demonstrate the majority of the traits in this definition of love. But let's just be honest, life can often times present situations that are very challenging. And our relationships with other's can be even more challenging at times.
So it is in those times and situations when we are under a great deal of stress or experiencing deep hurt, frustration or disappointment while trying to relate to one another that we miss the mark of displaying the characteristics listed in this biblical guideline for how we should love.
As a remedy to that, a very god reminder and " Love Self Checks and Balances" exercise I do every now and then to see how well I'm doing with staying in alignment with this definition and guideline for expressing love, especially following a situation as I described above, I go to this definition of Love in 1 Corinthians 13, and replace the word Love with my name then read it out loud to see which area's and traits of love I still need to work on. I use this exercise to help me gauge where I need to do or could've done better in a particular situation at expressing love from this higher standard of what love is and how it is demonstrated.
Trust me, it's not an exercise for those who are not able to look themselves in the mirror and face the truth about themselves. It takes a great deal of honesty with yourself as well as spiritual maturity and discipline to do this exercise. Nevertheless, it is a great exercise that will really show you the truth about yourself in regard to your attitude and level of love barometer. So go ahead and give it a try.
I promise you will at first be shocked to find what area's you still need to work on in your expression of love. And in the fast paced world we live in today, for most people that area is the first one....patience. But the good news is you will also become more conscious of how loving you are actually coming across to other's so that you keep doing what you're doing in the area's you have been practicing love well in. And you can get up and practice doing better tomorrow in the area's where you realize from this exercise you have not been doing so well at expressing love in.
Again, the exercise is to take the definition of Love from 1 Corinthians 13 in the bible, which is posted in the image at the top of this message, and replace the word Love with your name. Then read each sentence in the definition out loud.
As you read it out loud using your name, for example, Anna is patient....Anna is kind...and so forth, stop and take notice to the sensations you feel in your body, especially your heart area. Pay attention to if it constricts or expands as you read each line out loud. This will be your best indicator to whether or not you have actually been demonstrating that particular aspect or trait of love well or not.
And remember, the key to this exercise is to be honest with yourself so that you can see which area's of love you still need to do more work at expressing better.
Lastly, after you have done this exercise I strongly suggest you pray and ask God to reveal to you a recent or past situation where you missed the mark at being more loving as defined in this definition from the Holy Scriptures. Then after forgiving yourself, if you are inspired by Spirit to do so, it might also be a good idea to call or reach out to that person involved in the situation, whom you have now realized you were not very loving to, and apologize to them as well.
After all, we are created in and of Love, our Divine Source is Love. So our relationships with other's should matter. And nothing should be a higher priority than doing our best to be the purest conduits of love we can possibly be at all times and in all situations more often than not.
Until next time....remember to keep your heart open and your LOVE light on!!! ~ Anna MsPoet Hendricks - Your Inspirational Goddess of Love
A One Love Production
By Anna MsPoet Hendricks
Copyright 2016
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 tells us, "Love is Patient...Love is Kind..." When we hear this the first thing that most often comes to mind is romantic love. But I believe these two main components to expressing love applies to all of our relationships in every form they come. This includes, and is most importantly applied to, our relationship with self because it's impossible to give, extend or express to others what you have not yet learned to give, extend or express to yourself.
The catch-22 with this, very clear and seemingly simple, biblical definition of Love, is that it's impossible to be, or express one without being, and expressing the other. I have never seen an impatient person who is also kind. Nor have I ever met a kind person who at the same time lacked patience. In fact, I believe it is during the times we have an attitude of impatience that provokes the unkind behavior we express toward others the most.
Here are a few prime examples. When you are rushing through traffic, tailgating the cars in front of you, yelling or gesturing obscenities to the other drivers trying to make them speed up so you can pass by because you feel they're driving the speed limit is moving too slow for you and hindering you from getting to your destination in the time frame you want...you are NOT being, extending or expressing patience and kindness. Thus, you are not in alignment with the expression of love.
If you find yourself hemming and hawing and making rude comments (even if under your breath or in your head) to the cashier while waiting in line at the store then you are NOT being, extending or expressing patience and kindness. Thus, you are not in alignment with the expression of love.
If you are the kind of person who often says, or is thinking as you read this, "Yeah... Yeah...Yeah...all that sounds great in a perfect world but I have things to do, places to go and people to see. So I don't have time for this patience, kindness and love frame of thinking.
I have to keep my day and my life moving forward. And people who don't move or do things at my pace are in my way and a hindrance to me getting what I need done." Then you my friend are not being, extending or expressing patience and kindness. Thus you are not in alignment with the expression of love.
The importance of being consciously aware of this is that when you are not expressing patience and kindness not only are you not expressing love...you are in essence not expressing the presence of God in you.
Now if you're thinking, "Alright, I get the the point about patience and kindness but why did you through God in the mix. What does being patient and kind have to do with God?"
My answer to that question is this. The Holy Scriptures tells us that patience and kindness is love and God is love. And if we are made in God's image and likeness then we embody the same characteristics that is of God such as patience and kindness. Therefore, God has everything to do with it. "For we cannot love God, whom we have not seen, if we do not love others, whom we have seen." (1 John 4:20)
Spiritual Laws affect all of us rather one chooses to believe in them or not. And one very basic spiritual law is that what we give out is the measure in which we receive. So it's safe to say, when you fail to express the characteristics of God, such as patience, kindness and love, then you are the one who is really the source responsible for hindering and holding back your progress and inevitably your own good.
Understand that thoughts are energy and when you maintain an attitude of impatience which provokes behavior that exudes unkindness, you are literally vibrating to the negative energy that's creating more of the very thing you don't want. The energy it takes to stay in that frame of thinking and emotional state is the very energy that is the block and separation between you and your good. As I mentioned in my opening statement, you cannot receive that which you have not yet learned to be, extend, express or give. And this principle applies to everything, on every level and every area of your life.
So the next time you're feeling anxious or frustrated resulting in you behaving aggressive and pushy, impatient, abrupt, unkind or just flat out mean, stop for a moment. Take a deep breath and practice the art and virtue of being patient which will lead to you also being kind. Then sit back and watch everything begin to suddenly fall into place. And not in your time but divine time which believe it or not is always perfect time.
The key to this, however, is not by using our external power in attempt to force what we want to happen. Nor does it unfold by our willfulness and determination to push things forward. Yes action is often necessary to achieve our goals but we live in a universe that's designed to support us not go against us.
Through patience and kindness we evoke another basic spiritual law called divine order that is only able to express itself when we stop trying to make things happen and allow things to happen by letting go, letting God, and aligning ourselves with Love . It's not just a cliche. Love really does have the power to heal, correct, transform, and attract to you every good thing that's divinely yours to receive. And not just your good but the highest good of all involved.
Until next time...I surround you in Love & light!
A One Love Production
By Anna M. Hendricks
Copyright 2014
References: Holy Bible ~ Good News Translation
