via TJC
"You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it." Haggai 1:6
When you love a living thing, the spark of God within it grows. When you hate a living thing, that hatred is a threat to the life within it. For example, Christ even equated hating someone to killing them.
In a recent published study, psychologists measured the growth of plants who were cursed with words vs. plants over which affirmations were spoken. Their finding was that the cursed plants grew less and, in some cases, died. The plants who were loved grew taller and stronger.
It is possible to love a person to life and to hate another to death. I was once mistaken about a great many things. I planted my hopes in the world and its promises. I formed relationships with everyone but God. I refused to stop and watch or understand others. I was quick to judge and quick to curse.
So, all around me, nothing grew or flowered. My relationships were many but empty. To make matters worse, toxic relationships made me physically unhealthy, and I participated in making others unhealthy. If I was angry, then I was hateful.
What I learned, through Christ, is that hatred is not the OPPOSITE of love. Hatred is the ABSENCE of love. Love is the air our souls must inhale and exhale in order to live and give life. I learned it is possible for your soul to hold its breath, neither give nor accept love, and to slowly suffocate.
Jesus Christ is the great "YES" that we speak and pray over each other, affirming and strengthening each other as we navigate a broken world, knowing that we are citizens of a Kingdom that was built upon love and against whom the gates of hell can not prevail. Above all else, Jesus Christ is love.
Daily Battle Order:
Ask what is it that you are really seeking? At your funeral, there will be no uhaul behind your hearse. Plant the right seeds and walk away from whole fields if they're rotten or cursed. Read the word and look for the meaning of God's love. Think about your friend, your family and even your enemy and bless them all in the name of Jesus Christ, knowing the shortness of this life. See what happens.
A thought provoking statement, " I learned it is possible for your soul to hold its breath, neither give nor accept love, and to slowly suffocate. "