Love is Not Provoked

In further contemplation of the healing power of Love in our lives, let us consider the next passage in our series on I Corinthians 15, "Love is not provoked." Henry Drummond, author of The Greatest Thing in the World, calls the elements of love described in Corinthians, "ingredients." This would infer that the entirety is as a recipe for love that heals, comforts, saves, and produces peace.

Drummond asks that we consider this ingredient, love not provoked, to be synonymous with a bad temper. If one is easily provoked they may suffer an ill temper, be prone to quick anger. Many believe this misfortune simply to be built-in temperament, perhaps even inherited -- something that can't be helped and that is difficult to control. On the contrary, being easily provoked or angered is not the true nature of man, and certainly it is not something one would inherit from our heavenly Father, divine Love. Man is the "image and likeness" of God, and God is patient Love, tender and kind (Gen. 1:26).

Drummond writes, "For embittering life, for breaking up communities, for destroying the most sacred relationships, for devastating homes, for withering up men and women, for taking the bloom of childhood, in short, for sheer gratuitous misery-producing power this influence [evil temper] stands alone" (10). He continues to dissect the ill-temper, "What is it made of? Jealousy, anger, pride, uncharity, cruelty, self-righteousness, touchiness, doggedness, sullenness— these are the ingredients of this dark and loveless soul" (11).

There is an antidote, and it is the light of Christ in our consciousness, heart, and soul. It is the true nature of God that comes to us on eagle-wings! What are the exact spiritual counter facts of these elements of ill-nature? These make up your true and eternal nature. Not jealousy, but generosity; not anger, but patient loving-kindness; not pride, but humility; not uncharity, but love in good deeds; not cruelty, not gentleness; not self-righteousness, but humbleness in spiritual understanding; not touchiness, but Christly response; not doggedness, but pliable and open-minded; not sullenness, but joy. This produces the feeling and experience of a Light-filled loving individuality that blesses all and opens the way for healing.

Drummond has more text on this one ingredient than any other. I will add a final snippet of his wise counsel. To reach the core of the bad-temper issue, he explains that "the Spirit of Christ, interpenetrating ours, sweetens, purifies, transforms all. This only can eradicate what is wrong, work a chemical change, renovate and regenerate, and rehabilitate the inner man" (11).

Drummond, Henry (2011-01-01). The Greatest Thing in the World, Experience the Enduring Power of Love (p. 11). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

10 out of 10 frustration day?

What if you are having a day where your stress, grief, anger, fear, or frustration level feel nearly at a 10 out of 10? Move slowly. Do not make decisions, especially big ones. 

If you are reading this, you are most likely calmed to a lower number on that scale of 1 to 10, otherwise it would be almost impossible to even consider reading this or taking in any positive help by any means. That's the good news for the moment. 

Any mental or emotional state close to frozen fear, pit of mourning, or blind rage is toxic for the one stuck (temporarily) in this state, and even if held in, it is devastating for anyone around that individual. If it comes upon you, for whatever reason, prepare ahead as for an oncoming hurricane. For those live, or have lived, in hurricane territory, you know you must bring any that could become a flying projectile into the house or it becomes an instrument of destruction. Just so, in a temporarily severe emotional seizure, bring all loose, or unresolved, issues, questions, grievances, annoyances, and so forth -- into a place where they can't fly or strike anyone for the moment. Accusations and sarcastic remarks are missile projections launched from that which is normally balanced and nice, when the mental state approximates violent weather. If possible, put distance between yourself and others for a space of time. Spit everything out where there is no listening ear, or write it in a secret place where no one will have an opportunity to read it. Get it out. 

When the hurricane of emotion passes, and it will, two things may occur. You will be left feeling prostrate before God and in the perfect state of humility and meekness to ask for help and receive it. That intense grief, anger, fear, or frustration, is and was never truly part of you, it is/was like you were caught in a violent storm that is now past. Remember that the Scripture says, "God is of purer eyes than to behold evil" (Hab. 1:13). God sees all and always sees everything "very good" (Gen. 1:31). You would not feel guilty over a hurricane that passed over you, and you should not hold yourself in identification with intense sadness, depression, hate, or anger, either. The Scripture explains, "He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still" (Ps. 107:29). God calms and comforts consciousness, and there is no way to escape His Love or be separated from it even for a moment,  no matter how bad we might feel.

If you have experienced a tidal wave of emotion exceedingly overwhelming, and you are reading this, you are in both recovery time and preparatory time. Do not waste more precious moments by feeling guilty or in self-condemnation. The storm is past. The only thing that is really a part of you, that which is your forever true nature, is the goodness and love that you reflect of God as His "image" and likeness (Gen. 1:26). The negative emotions and thoughts wash off like mud that was never a real part of you. Let it go. Prepare ahead to weather any such onslaughts and they will cease or at least be less severe. I recommend a Journal. 

Begin, or continue in, or pick back up -- a journal. You might want a locked one! In Grief Coaching, I recommend a gratitude-kindness journal. In the case of preparing for possible hurricane emotions, your journal should include the occasional page where you spill and spit out what you hate, what is so upsetting. Later, go back and look over the issues that need to be addressed and pray for help from the Father. The ones that appear unresolvable and upsetting, these you will especially lay at the feet of divine Love. "I'm putting these things here because I have no control over them, and I really need Your help." Then leave them there at the feet of the Christ. The I AM that is all Love will move upon these things with His Law of harmony and there will be adjustment. You are not stuck. Nothing bad has power to resist the omnipotence of God, Good. Put your worries, fears, and frustrations down before the infinite One who loves you and cares for you, then listen for guidance, for He will send His angel-messages right to your thought. Watch things change and give thanks for every bit of evidence toward right adjustment. 

These angel-messages and changes for good are things you would write in your journal in the gratitude section. If you missed the blog about how to do the Gratitude-Kindness Journal, it is basically to take a few minutes each night, or morning, and write several things you are grateful for from that day (or previous day if you cannot do this until he morning), and several ways that you expressed or observed kindness. This is normally a before-you-go-to-sleep routine. The morning routine I recommend takes just 5 minutes as well. Plan some way to spiritualize your thought for the first 5 minutes that you are awake. Here are some ideas: open your Bible after a quick prayer for guidance and read; mentally (or audibly) sing a hymn and pray with the ideas in it (you might have a hymnal or something online or printed out ahead of time); listen to calming, spiritual music; take notes or annotate an ongoing Bible study; and always conclude by asking God what He would have you do for Him today.