Practice Love

How do you become an expert on something? Isn't there a kind of pattern? If you want to be an expert at golf, isn't it highly effective to observe the best, the professionals -- to seek out lessons and practice, practice, practice? Is it not good to continually monitor yourself and/or have experts check your progress and the elements of your game? Yes. This same strategy for excellence in any given endeavor can be utilized to acquire and nurture the most important thing in the universe and throughout eternity.  -- expressing and being the pure expression of Love! There is nothing higher. It should permeate everything you do, every decision your make, all responses to that which comes into your experience. We are each given a talent of Love. We have it by reflection of Him who is Love. Jesus instructed that we do not "hide" our "talents" but take them in hand and work to multiply them (Matthew 25:14-30). It has been the purpose of this recent series of blogs to analyze this "greatest thing in the world" (Drummond) and perhaps inspire its multiplication.

Henry Drummond explains that talent "develops itself in solitude— the talent of prayer, of faith, of meditation, of seeing the unseen;" while "character grows in the stream of the world’s life. That chiefly is where men are to learn love" (14). He also notes that while the elements of Love can be analyzed for deeper understanding, "love is something more than all its elements— a palpitating, quivering, sensitive, living thing" (14). So to multiply this talent of love, we must first desire to let it take over our being, study it, and then consciously work to assimilate this living thing as seen in perfect expression in the life of our Master, Christ Jesus. Just as one who would become an expert at golf, or tennis, or another language, or in cooking, or anything else, must study the masters in these fields, we must observe Jesus' practice of love, as preserved in the Gospels and in the writings of Paul and early church fathers. He is the Way-shower and illustrates what this thing, Love, looks like in our present experience. Through spiritual sense we can discern the pure unselfish thought and motive behind his words and works, and make ourselves like him. Practice, practice, practice love. Meditate in prayer on this precious living thing. We each have this love within by reflection, as "image and likeness" (Gen. 1:26).

Drummond elaborates this point with the passage,We love— because he first loved us (I John 4:19). He continues, "Look at that word “because.” It is the cause of which I have spoken. “Because he first loved us,” the effect follows that we love, we love Him, we love all men. We cannot help it. Because He loved us, we love, we love everybody. Our heart is slowly changed.

ACTION STEP: Today, choose a portion of the writings about Jesus, and look for how love is expressed in your selected passage(s). Next, keep the lesson of love, the way he expressed it in the verse(s), and find a parallel in your experience today in which you can actively follow that example. Before going to sleep tonight, think over his example of love and review how you did with it during the day. What did you do that was like it, what could you have done better, and what opportunities might you have improved? Pray to feel Love and ask that His angels be with you to better express it tomorrow. Make a habit of love. This is the "greatest thing in the world," and the most healing and comforting.


Drummond, Henry (2011-01-01). The Greatest Thing in the World, Experience the Enduring Power of Love (p. 14). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Practice Love and Find Healing

I hope everyone maintains a beautiful Christmas feel in their hearts and souls today, December 26, and every day forever. The magical feel of this celebration in its spiritual sense has its source in Love.

Author of The Greatest Thing in the World, Henry Drummond, writes these motivational words that urge us to live in Love and practice loving: "Now the business of our lives is to have these things [the elements of love as analyzed in the past series of blogs, found in I Cor. 13] fitted into our characters. That is the supreme work to which we need to address ourselves in this world, to learn love. Is life not full of opportunities for learning love? Every man and woman every day has a thousand of them. The world is not a playground; it is a schoolroom. Life is not a holiday, but an education. And the one eternal lesson for us all is how better we can love" (13).

ACTIVE WATCH: take the above idea and act on three of the thousands of opportunities to learn and practice love that come your way today. You can do this whether you go out or are shut in, you can do this if you are among people or alone. Your thoughts, when laced with Love, go forth with spiritual power to help and heal, and this unselfish loves does not come back to you void, but blesses you as well. Is there a place, a person or situation, where the opposite of love is felt when you think on it or live with it? It is a claim that love is absent, but God is Love and ever present. In those difficult emotional circumstances, take your thought away from the trigger [that which incites the negative reaction or feeling] and simply anchor conscious thought to God, to Love. Leave the personal sense for a minute, turn your back to it, and face the Light of Love entirely. He will care you for and adjust the situation.

At the end of the day today, think back over opportunities you had to express love. How did you do? Did you find three times to consciously choose love? Try it again tomorrow! Find four opportunities. Create a habit. Practice love. Jesus reassures us, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light," (Matt. 11:30). Where Love is, the burden is light. Where love is expressed everything is eased.

Drummond, Henry (2011-01-01). The Greatest Thing in the World, Experience the Enduring Power of Love (p. 13). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Christmas Eve Healing through Love

Added note: One grace of Love is forgiveness -- and I ask forgiveness that I've been writing I Corinthians 15 through this series, when in fact, to my discomfiture, it is chapter 13! We will have to address the 15th chapter after this out of curiosity if nothing else!!!!  Love includes humility so here I am. Stuff happens, as they say.

So here is today's offering:

I Corinthians 13: 5-6

[Love] thinketh no evil; 

Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 

Henry Drummond interprets thinketh no evil as guilelessness. He writes, "Guilelessness is the grace for suspicious people. The possession of it is the great secret of personal influence. You will find, if you think for a moment, that the people who influence you are people who believe in you. In an atmosphere of suspicion men shrivel up; but in that atmosphere they expand, and find encouragement and educative fellowship" (11). 

Example. A mother called me for prayerful support and help because her teenage son had been arrested for car theft. He pleaded innocent. He explained what happened to his mother, but she didn't really believe him. I told her to give him the benefit of the doubt -- what if he was innocent and his story was true but she did not believe in him? Bad all the way around. What if she believed in him but was wrong? That was the higher way -- and what if he was telling the truth? Either way, better to accept and believe in your child and be proven wrong, than to join the accusers and then find him or her innocent. If nothing else, the support rather than suspicion, is healing and shows highest love. As it turned out, this teenager's story was true, he was innocent, and this mother was so very happy that she told him she believed him and was on his side no matter what. The relationship was strengthened through this exercise of guilelessness. Show confidence, not suspicion, and nurture love in your relationships.

Drummond elaborates, "Love “thinketh no evil,” imputes no motive, sees the bright side, puts the best construction on every action. What a delightful state of mind to live in! What a stimulus and benediction even to meet with it for a day! To be trusted is to be saved" (12). 

Let's go on a Christmas Eve 'watch' and express the above concept from Drummond -- spreading that wonderful aspect of Love as a gift to all we meet or think upon. Merry Christmas Eve!

Drummond, Henry (2011-01-01). The Greatest Thing in the World, Experience the Enduring Power of Love (p. 12). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. 

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.

Healing Power of Unselfishness

As we analyze the healing power of Love as illustrated in I Corinthians 15, we arrive at "seeketh not her own." Not seeking what it is your right to have for yourself, but rather turning from "self" to seek that which will benefit others. Such unselfishness should bring a win-win situation; it should bless everyone.

Henry Drummond explains in his book, The Greatest Thing in the World, "Unselfishness. “Love seeketh not her own.” Observe: seeketh not even that which is her own. ... “Seekest thou great things for thyself?” said the prophet; “seek them not.” Why? Because there is no greatness in things. Things cannot be great. The only greatness is unselfish love. The most obvious lesson in Christ’s teaching is that there is no happiness in having and getting anything, but only in giving. I repeat, there is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving. Half the world is on the wrong scent in pursuit of happiness. They think it consists in having and getting, and in being served by others. It consists in giving, and in serving others. “He that would be great among you,” said Christ, “let him serve.” He that would be happy, let him remember that there is but one way—“ It is more blessed, it is more happy, to give than to receive.”

I have been considered a most precious gift from Jesus that is ever-present for our receiving -- this is the kind of gift that transcends the "things" and moves to the "heavenly treasures" we need.  Once we have it, we can give it without measure. It is a gift of the highest nature -- peace.

Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27).

Prayerfully meditate with gratitude on receiving more of this peace right now. Feel after it. Seek it for others by exuding it from your heart and soul, especially in 'stormy' circumstances. The peace and calm of God are upon you. Seek peace for yourself for the purpose of helping other find peace for themselves, it is the gift of Christ with healing power in its wings.


Drummond, Henry (2011-01-01). The Greatest Thing in the World, Experience the Enduring Power of Love (p. 9). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Love in small things heals

Following the passages of I Corinthians 15 on love, we now consider love expressed in small ways -- in Paul's language, "Love does not behave itself unseemly."

Henry Drummond, whose small book we have recommended, The Greatest Thing in the World, explains this as the "fifth ingredient" of love, and defines it "courtesy" (8). He elaborates, "This is love in society, love in relation to etiquette. ... Politeness has been defined as love in trifles. Courtesy is said to be love in little things. And the one secret of politeness is to love. Love cannot behave itself unseemly" (8). This is an interesting word choice, "unseemly." What does it mean exactly?

Dictionary-reference.com defines it as "not in keeping with established standards of taste and proper form; unbecoming or indecorous in appearance, speech, conduct, etc.; an unseemly act; unseemly behavior." Additionally, unseemly means "inappropriate for time or place."

It has been said that if you love, if you love God, if you love your fellow man, you will automatically keep all the Commandments. The same is true for deporting yourself harmoniously in any situation, with anyone, in any culture, in any circumstance. When consciousness glows with even a small pinpoint of love -- in the way of compassion, forgiveness, patience, understanding, gentleness -- words and actions will be at least polite. Oppositely, the unseemliness of words and actions fueled by anger, self-righteousness, cold indifference, fear, and so forth, leads to discord and strife, and to scenes that may later cause remorse, embarrassment, and require a good deal of forgiveness.

The love that does not "behave itself unseemly" is not personal love which could switch to animosity be tainted or lost. The real love is God's love, the Love that is the one I AM. It is the nature of the Infinite. Know that since "man" is the "image and likeness" of God (Gen. 1:26), you reflect and include in your eternal identity, this perfect Love that is all Light and never feels less than absolute peace and lovingkindness. Nothing is lost in a mirror -- it shows everything that is before it. Just so, you include the fullness of God's Love right now and always. Holding to this fact about yourself, you will feel it and express it more and more. It will take over for you in situations that are uncomfortable or fearful. It will protect you and govern your words and actions.

To nurture this outcome, be sure to take at least five minutes to prayerfully meditate on this truth about yourself reflecting the perfect Love that is God. Do this each day at least one time -- more is better -- you cannot do it too much! When one does not behave unseemly, this additionally acts as a mental medicine that permeates the body "searching the joints and marrow" so that health shows forth more tangibly (Hebrews 4:12). No part of body can act in an unseemly manner when Love brings its healing presence to every cell and fibre. Prayerfully meditate on Love as Light, "in whom in no darkness at all" -- nothing unseemly at all (I John 1:5).


Drummond, Henry (2011-01-01). The Greatest Thing in the World, Experience the Enduring Power of Love (p. 8). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Love not "puffed up" brings specific healing

We have reached the part of this healing by Love mini-blog series where we will consider the passage from I Corinthians, “Love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.”

In Henry Drummond's book, The Greatest Thing in the World, he calls this "humility." To "vaunt" is to brag or speak boastfully. It is not a loving nature or character to speak with exaggerated or excessive pride about yourself. It is so much more loving to be meek and humble, and it is so much more powerful as well. A side-effect is that others will like/love you more (rather than be repelled). To not speak of your wonderful accomplishments unduly -- but as necessary with gentleness, always keeping the value of others in mind -- is truly loving. This meek-love is an element of healing that especially targets puffed up or swollen areas on the body, as the mental state is so powerful when applied through prayer to the fear-producing appearance. This medicine of Love brings the healing power of humility exactly to where it is needed.

Do not fear being under-appreciated. God, the one Intelligence and Creator, is actually expressing His own qualities in you and loving your unique manifestation of these. He knows all things. You are appreciated and valued beyond measure throughout eternity. Without you, God would not be complete -- the universe would not be complete. You are necessary and loved.

You are "daily His delight" (Proverbs 8:30).



Drummond, Henry (2011-01-01). The Greatest Thing in the World, Experience the Enduring Power of Love (p. 8). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.