Without Love

I woke up this morning thinking about the state of the world, the economy, the thoughts of all the dooms-dayers, and bringing it home close, thinking about my town, my neighborhood, my extended family and my own little family. Thinking about love and the deeds that are the fruit of love and then I thought about the following verses in the Bible and compared them to my own experiences with people and sighed regarding the profound truth of the words, no matter what you believe, acts of kindness are so much better when love has been the motivation. Think about the conversations you have with people and you know they are always better when spoke from the heart of a humble soul that is filled with love and not selfishness.
Bringing it closer to home yet, I thought about my own words and deeds and when they are motivated by love, they are better. We don't have to go through life trying to change people but we can change lives by having love for them, even when they are acting out of less than wonderful motives towards us and the life we change is often just our own.
Imagine if politicians, both sides of the isle, had honest love of mankind in mind when they met ?
Imagine if health insurance companies and banks were motivated by love ? Imagine if each one of us were motivated by this kind of pure love when we spoke, when we prepared meals for our families or faced walking in the store and saw all the things we suddenly wanted. Imagine we felt this depth of love when we drove or stood in long lines at the store or had a testy clerk wait on us ? Imagine what a difference in our world if we ourselves kept no record of wrong done to us, even a mental record ? Imagine our lives not full of envy, boasting or pride ? Would churches be full of kindess and not judgement ? Would we feel differently when we read others blogs or watched home and garden shows that offer us a view of things bigger and better than we have ? Would we spend our time differently if our hearts were full of love for others ? I know I would.
1 Corinthians 13:
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not 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 have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails....
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.