What do you see first?

...the first ingredient of love is to really see the other...
The second ingredient is equally important to see yourself...


Anthony DeMello in his last meditations

Feeling Forgotten?

Paul Miller wrote:
"Every act of love is a means of being forgotten."

Loving can be a lonely venture.  It can be isolating to love and not feel it rebound.  When you are not noticed for your love, press on, persevere.  There is nothing more important, and perhaps nothing so unnoticed.  

"A Divine Way of Relating"

Dallas Willard continues to amaze me with his teachings.  This time in Renovation of the Heart:

"Love is not a feeling, or a special way of feeling, but the divine way of relating to others and oneself that moves through every dimension of our being and restructures our world for good."
(page 183)
In his footnotes on this (page 264), he attributes this concept to Charles Finney in his Lectures on Systematic Theology.  Who would have thought this thought came from a theology book!  He continues to expound on this by saying, "to most people, to love someone now means to be prepared to approve of their desires and decisions and to help them fulfill them...to love people means to favor what is good for them and to be prepared to help them toward that..."
Willard is simply expressing that love is more determination and action than feeling.  Feelings may be a part of it or a response to it.  But, it seems to be a mental shift in favor for the other person, instead of self centeredness.  

Love is meant to be lived

Compiling the words of the late great Dallas Willard are in Life Without Lack.  His words on love should give us insights to his great mind and heart:

"Love is not just about the things we do.  Love is an attitude of the heart."  (page 164)

"Our aim under love is not to be loving to this or that person, or in this or that kind of situation, but to be a person possessed by love as an overall character of life."  (page 166)

"Love is meant to be lived."  (page 168)

Intentional Love

Thomas Oord in his book, The Science of Love, defines love as "acting intentionally, in sympathetic response to others (including God), to promote overall well-being."
(page 31)

What are you doing intentionally to help others?

Responsibility, Obligation, or Debt

Romans 13:8 is translated in various ways:  the obligation to love one another, sounds a lot like our title, "Responsibility to Love."  Other translations say the debt to love one another.  Another say, owe no one anything but love.  I think we get the point.  It is something we are obligated to do.  It is a debt we can never pay off.  Mortgage yourself to LOVE.  For love is the only thing that will last forever. (I Corinthians 13:8)

Seek ye first...

"Love seeks one thing only:  the good of the one loved."

~ Thomas Merton

What good are you seeking?
Love requires focus.  Love thrives in seeking.  By seeking the best for others, you will find the best for you.