Skip to main content

Day 17 Look Like Love

Inspiration for this post brought to you by my mom (:
I talked the other day about how I’m a 2 on the enneagram. 

2’s struggle most with pride. And I’ve realized mine has been unchecked the past few days. As a helper I want to care for people, get things done, and fix things. And in return for my oh so generous acts, I hope and expect you to care for me and my needs too. When those expectations aren’t met, cynicism can sneak into my heart and entangle itself in the truths I whisper to myself. 

I put 110% into everything I do. I strive for excellence and I do my best. I think that’s what we’re all called to— to do our best. But if we lose sight of love in the process, that’s when pride and self sufficiency become our close friends and patience and grace take a backseat. 

So how do we balance the two? Love is a true calling, and so is excellence. I know for me, I need to take a step back from myself. Pause in the moment, and ask why am I doing the work that I’m doing? Am I trying to pick up the slack of others because I’m impatient? Am I trying to prove myself? Am I in it for the title or the paycheck? Or am I here, wherever that may be, doing whatever I’m doing to my fullest ability because God has given me these strengths and has called me to use them to love the people around me? Do everything for his glory (Col. 3:17).

So I’m running from pride and towards love. Love cover a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8).  Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). Love is patient and kind and not a lot of other things like pride. I want to look like Love.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 29 Roots

Orange unfurls from green and lies under layers of brown. Roots are planted deep, but canopies are left bare with death as bitter winds befriend my nose and fingers. I pray my roots are deep enough to endure the change of season. What if death consumes everything that sits on the surface so everything underneath is exposed? Dig deep, patiently wait for the sprout to emerge, let the roots begin to sink in. The winds may blow the leaves away and break some branches, but resurrection comes with change too. Hope lives in the roots.
Post a Comment
Read more

Day 27 You are a Leader

Today Pastor Chris (at Riverbank Church in White River Junction, VT) talked about one of my favorite topics-- Christian leadership.  What do you think of when we hear the word "leader?" Maybe you think, "sure, I'm a leader." That's great! But maybe you think, "uh, no way, I don't have the abilities or the gifts to be a leader." And if that's you, I understand where you are coming from. But friend, I'm lovingly telling you, you're dead wrong. As Christians, we are all leaders.  Really, I think we're just defining leadership wrong. Leadership, from a biblical standpoint, is serving others (Matthew 20:28), influence (Galatians 5:16-25), responsibility (Galatians 6:4-5), character (2 Peter 1:3), and skill (Luke 1610-12). We all have the Holy Spirit living inside of us, and he is the most powerful influence. So if we have him living inside of us, and working through us, how can we not be leaders? See, God does not call the qualif...
Post a Comment
Read more

Day 28 Divine Love in Truth

I'm going to back-track here... back to truth. Remember how I said it's connected to love? Christopher Heuertz says in The Sacred Enneagram  that "there is divine love in all truth no matter where it's from." But see, sometimes the truth hurts. So where's the love then? What about the truth that I am broken and selfish and impatient and human? When we are held accountable, we typically don't like hearing where we've gone wrong. And yet, being held accountable is so valuable and necessary. It helps us see who we truly are-- even the ugly bits.  It teaches us how we can grow and who we are becoming.  It draws us closer to Love. When you can see where you struggle, you can also choose to see your potential. I believe that's how God sees all of us.  He sees our cracked pieces and sees beauty because he can see the final work. It requires hope on our end, and patience to hear and develop from hard truth. So next time you hear someone tell you that t...
Post a Comment
Read more