How’s Your Love Life?

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One day I was angry at myself because I hadn’t accomplished as much as I wanted. Inwardly I beat myself up for it, and then of course, felt even worse. (Ever do that to yourself?)

As I went through some old papers my gaze fell on one entitled, “How’s Your Love Life?” The paper was a checklist based on a Bible passage– verses 4-7 of I Corinthians, chapter 13, often called “The Love Chapter” because it  gives aspects of God’s love. The paper listed such qualities as: patience, kindness, humility (ie., not being arrogant, not boastful, not “full of oneself”, willing to put others first), respect for others, forgiveness, and the ability to be slow to anger.

The reader was encouraged to rate himself/herself on how patient, kind, etc. he/she was with family, friends,  and other relationships.

The thought occurred to me: How loving am I with myself? How patient am I with myself? Do I treat myself in a kindly way?  Or do I say things to myself such as, ” You are so stupid! Why did you do that? ” or “You are such a klutz; you trip over anything.” or “I’ll never change; I’ll always be (fill in the blank).

Typed on screen, those words seem harsh; they are.  I keep thinking phrases like the above are motivating, but in reality they aren’t. The attitudes revealed in those phrases actually keep me from making helpful changes, and I spiral downward from there. Negative leads to more negative.

I want positive changes in my life, so  I am moving out of Negative-Land. I need help with the move, so I am asking God for help to  treat myself with the consideration that His attitudes, as revealed in I Corinthians, chapter 13 show.

How about you? How’s your love-life?

P. Booher