Apr 22, 2020
Love is patient, love is kind. It rejoices with truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.
11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.
12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:4-13
Love is truly the great emotion in life. The word loveis used in numerous ways to capture the special connection that ties us all together as human beings. Warriors all have an innate desire to be loved and to be whole. Their lives are complete with love. Love is their essence and being vulnerable opens them to love.
Each of us desires the experience of love. See how much the notion of love plays a part in our personal journey of life. We seek it in our families, relationships, careers, religions, hobbies, and even—at times—in nature itself. All the while, love is right within us, ready to be accepted and shared.
Unconditional love, or authentic love, is a dynamic and powerful energy that lifts you through the most difficult times. It is available at any moment. It requires practice and intent to allow this energy to fully permeate your daily experience. It begins with yourself. To know what true love is, you must first have self-love. In loving yourself, you allow the feeling to generate within you, and then you are able to share it with everyone and everything around you. That which you send out returns to you in greater measure or abundance.
I invite you to look at how you feel toward yourself—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Begin the journey of unconditional love starting right now. When you allow yourself to understand the impact your actions have on yourself and the world, you realize the necessity of choosing a loving action. You have the power to correct conditions within as well as to affect the world in which you live.
There are so many ways to apply love in your everyday life. Start by first choosing to care for and love yourself. As an act of self- love, educate yourself and choose to care for your physical body. Keep your thoughts and feelings positive and loving. Nurturing yourself also teaches you how to nurture life around you.
Have you ever had a feeling of “being connected”? This feeling is also described as “being in your power,” “being in your center,” or “coming from a place of love.” You are open, warm, and loving to others. You are also confident and centered in yourself. You have unconditional love and acceptance. Unconditional love will fill you up, make you whole, and provide you with the happiness you choose to have.
Unconditional love is many times so different from the kind of love you may have been taught or known all of your life. Your misconceptions of conditional love began in early childhood. You may have experienced it when you did all of the right things: when you were clean, quiet, obedient, and otherwise good, people showed love for you. They smiled at you and spoke in gentle tones. When you misbehaved, all those signs of love instantly vanished. In short, you were taught by consistent experience that love was and is conditional. You had to buy your love from the people around you with your words and behavior. This is conditional love and, in its purest form, it is an imitation or false illusion of love.
Most people spend an entire life attempting to fill up their emptiness with conditional love. All they achieve is an ever-deepening frustration, punctuated by brief moments of superficial satisfaction. Much of the unhappiness in your life is because of conditional love. You experience frustration as you desperately and hopelessly attempt to create happiness from a flawed foundation of conditional love.
Many times, conditional love results in an unbearable emptiness. This may compulsively lead to filling your emptiness with what- ever feels good in the moment: money, anger, sex, alcohol, drugs, violence, power, and the conditional approval of others—all of which are addictions and a giving away of your true, authentic self.
Conditional love is the major cause of confusion, frustration, chaos, and anger. Anything you use as a substitute for unconditional love becomes a form of imitation love. Although imitation love feels good for a moment, it is temporary. Unconditional love has staying power.
Choose to come into your love. Are you willing to love yourself? This is an important step for you. When you are all filled up with love, you are more resourceful, compassionate, and understanding of yourself. Both your mind and vision becomes clearer.
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 1 John 4:16
Women of Faith is a global ministry, specializing in the use of all forms of media & technology, as a conduit to connect people to people and exponentially grow friends and community globally and to create disciples 24/7, 365 days per year. This allows Women of Faith to reach more people and to have more impact in growing God’s Kingdom. Women of Faith is also committed to carrying the legacy of wisdom, story and authenticity, by providing various media, initiatives, resources, events, courses, studies, partnerships and programs. These are utilized in delivering spiritual strength, life leadership, real relationships and to encourage and equip women to experience a deeper relationship with Jesus. Women of Faith’s Foundational Voice is Alita Reynolds.
