June 3: LOVE DOESN'T NEED TO KEEP TRACK OF THE OUTCOMES. PEOPLE AREN'T PROJECTS

Affirmation: I am gentle with myself and my mistakes. I treat myself with love and respect.

“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 ‭NIV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/111/1jn.4.16.NIV

I put this verse with this affirmation as a reminder that God sees you and me…not our mistakes. Take responsibility for your mistakes, ask God to help you move forward in His love. Seek wisdom and guidance, learn from your mistakes.

~~~~~~~

Ponder, Practice, Personalize: This is a repeat verse from January. Remind yourself of the 8 characteristics of wisdom from God. Mediate on this verse throughout the day and ask God for wisdom.

“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. https://bible.com/bible/111/jas.3.17.NIV

~~~~~~~

Reading for Today

Walk in Grace. Live in Love. by Bob Goff

                       June 3

LOVE DOESN'T NEED TO KEEP TRACK OF THE OUTCOMES. PEOPLE AREN'T PROJECTS.

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. COLOSSIANS 3:14 

When my kids were young, we designated a spot on the wall in our kitchen to keep track of how fast they grew. Each of our kids had a section, and we marked their height in pencil every few months. It was fun to see how quickly they sprang up, and it let Sweet Maria and I know where all the food was going. Sadly, for the kids, they knew this also meant we'd stand our ground about eating broccoli. That wall became a measure of progress-both for their growing bodies and for our effectiveness as parents.

We all want some metrics to look at so we can see if we're making progress. That wall reminds me of the tendency we all have to know that our efforts are making a difference. We're hoping for a raise at the end of the year. A more important job title. During a fund-raiser, we want to see the thermometer get filled in with a marker until we hit the goal. If you're a college student, you tally each class, credit, and semester to the ultimate goal of a degree. It's normal to want quantifiable results from our efforts. It helps us make our choices.

Love, on the other hand, resists all our attempts to measure how well it's working. Whether it's a close friend, a family member, or a young person we’ve taken under our wing, we love them simply because they're worthy of love. When love has an agenda, it isn't love anymore. It's just another program. We choose to give away love for no other reason than our recognition that people are worth it.

People aren't projects; people are people. For us that means that love doesn't need to keep track of how much it costs us or try to control the outcomes.

Who can you show today that you see them as a person not a project?