Devotion//Love is the spice of life
A balanced and happy life doesn’t happen naturally.
The elements of a happy life
Most people seek a balanced and happy life by pursuing their desires and dreams and by fulfilling their desires and dreams. Those who feel insecure and uncertain but wish for a balanced but happy life also seek to fulfill themselves. Those elements might make up 10% of a balanced and happy life.
When we are self-absorbed, we will not gain a balanced or happy life. By being self-absorbed the opposite of our goal takes place. We want fulfillment. We want a happy life. But instead, over time, our life becomes hard, angry, and filled with blaming others that we are not happy.
Love is the spice of life that brings balance and happiness. Love is the 90% factor of a happy and balanced life.
This is not self-love. Self-love is just another way to be self-absorbed.
Love’s role in a happy life
Love always looks outside of self to others For instance, for those who are married, love looks to that special someone in their life.
A person of love shares him or herself willingly, with a heart to be a blessing to others and without looking for self-aggrandizement or self-fulfillment.
Love is a character trait that mixes inner strength (those who love are not weak) with humility and with a deep concern for others.
That character trait of love only comes from Jesus who has overcome the self-centered nature of our heart and replaced our hard nature with his loving nature.
God’s description of love
The Holy Spirit tells us about the character trait of love, Love is patient. Love is kind. Love does not envy. It does not brag. It is not arrogant. It does not behave indecently. It is not selfish. It is not irritable. It does not keep a record of wrongs. It does not rejoice over unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 14:4-7, EHV).
To have a happy and balanced life, respond to Jesus’ love for you. Love Jesus above all others, love your spouse deeply, and love your neighbor as yourself.
Source: John Bauma