Love is patient. It can bear all things.
It believes all things.
It hopes for all things.
Because Love understands.
* * *
Kindness. Active love.
Have you ever noticed how much of Christ’s time in the world was spent doing kind deeds, how large a part of his short time on Earth was spent merely making other people happy.
If you view his life in that way, you will notice that although Christ had much to do, he never forgot to be kind to his fellow man.
There is only one thing greater than happiness, and that is holiness. That may not be within our grasp, but making other people happy is. God gave us that ability and it costs us almost nothing. When you think about it, you will see that it costs us absolutely nothing.
So why are we so reluctant to make our fellow man happy? Happiness does not breed in captivity nor does it diminish when it is given away. On the contrary, merely by sowing happiness, we increase our quota. Someone once said: ‘The greatest thing a man can do for his Heavenly Father is to be kind to some of His other children.’
The world really needs that!
And it’s so easy to be kind. The effect is immediate and you will be remembered for ever.
And the reward is abundant, for no debt is more honoured than the debt of Love. ‘Love never ends.’
* * *
Love is the true energ
y of life. As Browning says:
For life, with all it yields of joy and woe.
And hope and fear — …
Is just our chance o’ the prize of learning love,
How love might be, hath been indeed, and is…
* * *
Where Love is, so are we, and so is God.
Anyone who takes joy in Love, takes joy in their existence as a human being, takes joy in God.
God is Love. Therefore LOVE!
Without distinction, without calculation, without procrastination, without fear that you might suffer: LOVE!
Lavish your Love on the poor, which is easy, and on the rich, who distrust everyone and cannot recognise the Love they need so much; and on your equals, which is very difficult. It is with our equals that we are at our most selfish. We often try to please, but what we need to do is to give pleasure.
Give pleasure. Never miss an opportunity to give pleasure, because you will be the first to benefit from that – even if no one knows what you are doing. The world around you will become more contented and things will be easier for you. As Stephen Grellet wrote: ‘I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.’
* * *
Generosity: ‘Love does not envy.’ Envy means love in competition with the Love of others.
Let others love. And try to love still more.