Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “Hatred paralyses life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonises it. Hatred darkens life; love illumines it.”
Love it would be fair to say “makes the world go around”. Love makes us flourish; it gives us a future. Love gives our lives meaning. Love makes us healthier.
“The greatest science in the world, in heaven and on earth is love. And the most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved” (Mother Teresa)
How often does our attention and thoughts get caught up in thinking about the opposite of love – on negativity and the people who irritate us? Our minds and hearts can easily focus on the negative, annoying and even strange behaviour of others, and within a short space of time we are filled with negativity and unlovely thoughts and emotions.
But what if we spent a moment, every day thinking of someone to love? If first thing in the morning we asked ourselves and God the question “Who can I love today? Who can I send some love to today?”
God said His love in us never fails. That’s because His love is so powerful. The world and everything in it is framed by that love, and we are also made with an immense capacity to love if we will open up our hearts.
God says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking,is not easily angered, it keeps no accountof wrongs. Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things,believes all things, hopes all things,endures all things. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)
When we wake up asking “Who can I love”, and keep on thinking that throughout the day, our attention is directed towards the positive as we consciously think and pray of people to love. Our minds are geared towards love and the good in people and the world. Instead of judging and getting annoyed we are redirecting our thoughts and hearts to love them.
Mother Teresa also said, “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.”
Today “Don’t waste time bothering whether you “love” your neighbour, act as if you do” For love is not something you just feel, it is something you do. (C.S. Lewis)
Ask everyday, “who can I love today, and then go and do just that!
“If we have got the true love of God abroad in our hearts, we will show it in our lives. We will not have to go up and down the earth proclaiming it. We will show it in everything we say or do.” (Dwight Moody)
Prayer: Lord would you please fill my heart up with your love today and then show me who and where I can spread love around on today. In Jesus name Amen