Love in 2018 involves your personal health on all levels – spiritual, emotional, physical, and relationships. First and foremost, love begins with God.
Not all faith traditions depict God as a God of love. For some, God is a God of judgment and damnation. For some, God is a Universal Force of Nature. For me, God is personal and the Author of Love. The Greatest Commandment, Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength, is our right response to the Author of Love. It is our right response because our spiritual health engages our entire being. That includes our heart, soul, mind, and strength. In short, our entire being.
A love response has to do with gratitude. Gratitude is one of the strongest traits linked to happiness and mental and emotional health. Early on, one of the most important things parents teach their children is saying please and thank you. The social practice is an important one, but ultimate gratitude is a soul response. It is a reflection – perhaps a barometer – of spiritual health.
So, to develop and deepen your love in 2018, make it a priority to practice gratitude. And in that spirit, I want to tell you – each one of you – how deeply thankful I am for you. You have journeyed with me in some way over the past year. It means a great deal to me.
I am thankful to God for this great gift of Life, and many blessings – including you.