I started Valentine's day off early this month with a super fun luncheon with the ladies I volunteer with at Birthright. It was really a sweet time of fellowship, prayer, and yummy food.
While there, one of the ladies handed out this quiz for all of us to do. (Scroll down if you do not want to read the entire quiz- but it is pretty cool!)
Based on 1 Corinthians 13, How does you love measure up?
LOVE IS PATIENT: I am slow to become angry or irritated. I never yell or lose my temper.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
LOVE IS KIND: I am thoughtful and considerate and praise the good qualities in others. I freely give others my time and am always looking for ways to build others up.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
LOVE ENVIES NO ONE: I am not jealous when others get more attention than I do and I am not threatened if they accomplish more or have more talent or do better than I do. I don’t sit back and pout or complain or try to see faults in others when I go unnoticed or am not in the spotlight.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
LOVE IS NEVER BOASTFUL: I don’t direct or try to control or hog the conversation to make sure others find out about my own accomplishments and abilities. I never stretch the facts so that I leave a better impression than what is actually true. I don’t talk about myself much, but prefer to get others to talk about themselves.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
LOVE IS NEVER CONCEITED: I don’t have a elevated view of my own importance or have to be begged, pampered or honored to do my share of the load. I don’t twist the conversation around to the things I am interested in or draw attention to myself. I don’t look for things in which I am better than others.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
LOVE IS NEVER RUDE: I never cut others down or am rude, harsh or crude, sarcastic or cocky; but instead I am courteous, polite, and sensitive to the needs of others.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
LOVE IS NOT SELFISH: I’m not self-centered or self-seeking, making others fit into my mold, expecting others to behave a certain way for my interests; I’m not possessive of others or those I love or the things I have, insisting on my own rights. I’d willingly let others use anything I have.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
LOVE DOES NOT TAKE OFFENSE: I’m not touchy, cranky, easily irritable, defensive, brittle or supersensitive; I’m not easily hurt or irritated over things that don’t really matter, or offended because of the oversight of a friend or someone else.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
LOVE KEEPS NO SCORE OF WRONGS: I’m quick to forgive and forget the offenses of those who hurt me in any way, intentionally or unintentionally. I don’t have to retaliate or defend myself when criticized by anyone, even someone in authority over me.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
LOVE DOES NOT GLOAT OVER OTHER MEN’S WRONGS: I’m not
secretly glad when others make a mistake or are proven wrong; I don’t have an “I told you so” attitude, or take pleasure in reminding others of their faults.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
LOVE DELIGHTS IN THE TRUTH: I am happy when truth wins out, even when it may show me up as untruthful in some situations or shed a less than positive light on me.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
LOVE HAS NO LIMIT TO ITS FAITH: I am not quick to doubt others or God, not pessimistic, always encouraging others to achieve their best, believing they can do it. I do not worry or doubts God work things for my best interests.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
LOVE HAS NO LIMITS TO ITS HOPE: I do not get easily frustrated with life, with friends, and am always looking to what others can be instead of what I see.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
LOVE HAS NO LIMIT TO ITS ENDURANCE: I am not quick to give up, easily frustrated, quick to complain. I always give everything and every relationship my best, regardless of their response, always giving and not expecting anything in return.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Total Score: ____________ / 140
Man is that ever an eye-opening, realistic view of how we treat others??
My "word" for 2012 is officially love. (Learn more about "one word for a year" at
http://myoneword.org/)
It is fitting because I am getting married this year, but that is really only part of the reason I chose it.
This year I want to really focus on loving others like the Bible says we should.
Before 1 Corinthians 13 talks about what love actually is (Love is patient, Love is kind...)
It talks about how important love is.
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
1 If I speak in the tonguesof men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
This verse has just really spoken to me lately. We can have the ability to fathom all the mysteries in the world, have all of the knowledge in the world, and have the kind of faith that can MOVE a mountain, but if we don't love others, we gain nothing.
That is how important it is to love others.
So this year I will be working on my goal to love others daily.
I am going to use the quiz above to help me!
When we have a problem with speeding in Odessa, what does law enforcement do? They set up speed traps! In a different location throughout town each week. Eventually our speeding problem starts to diminish.
This is also my plan to help me love others more!
Every week for the month of February, I am going to pick 2 or 3 of the goals listed on the quiz above to "target".
For example, this week I am working on Love is never boastful and Love does not take offense. (These are the two I need the most this week!)
Next week I will still think about these two, but I will add three more.
So happy February everyone! I hope this month is full of love for you.
Not only the cheesy, valentine's day card kind, but True compassionate love for others.
