in the light of love

 

Where is your focus? This morning, I read the words of the psalmist who writes: “I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.” (Ps. 131: 1b-2)

As I read this and thought about all my dreams and plans for the new year, it struck me that only after centering my heart in God’s heart may I have anything of worth to offer the world.

This is so because God’s heart is a heart of love—and, unless my words and actions spring from love, they will be of no benefit to anyone else.

We all have different gifts to offer the world. To employ our gifts for the common good, I am convinced we do well to slow down long enough each day to get in touch with the core of love at the center of it all.

In our fast-paced, competitive, combative, and noisy world it is too easy to lose sight of love. Rarely do we stop long enough to consider why we do what we do from one day to the next, not to mention the question of whether we are doing it all for love. But when our actions are firmly rooted in loving intention, our very lives become a space where beauty flourishes naturally.

When we live out of the center of love, there is less striving. We can see more clearly just what it is we are supposed to be doing and we have a deeper understanding as to why we are doing it. In love—and only in love—may we find true, lasting purpose and meaning.

Without love, our lives become an exercise in futility; chaos and confusion reign. We become warped and frustrated. It is easy to see how much we have become accustomed to living out of a center other than love; just notice how much we have become consumed about gaining the upper hand, pushing our various agendas on others. Love is a powerful force, but its power lies in the fact that it is not forceful.

Love says, “I will never force you to do anything or be a certain way. Still, I won’t stop inviting you to just slow down and be with me. Stop and rest; reflect. Listen to my voice. Know that I am with you. Know that I am for you, not against you. Know that in me you find true wisdom, guidance to light the way. I can’t promise you the road ahead won’t be filled with difficulties, but I can promise you that as you hold my hand we will get through it together and your life will be stronger for it—as well as the lives of those you know.”

Friends, my invitation to you—as we begin this new year with good intention—is to reflect on your life and your gifts in the light of love, for love never fails. Slow down and listen to the voice of love; let love be your guide.

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in the light of love

reflections by troy cady

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*Photo by Louis Hansel via Unsplash. Creative Commons License.