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5 Simple Ways to Choose Love

5 Simple Ways to Choose Love

The gift of motherhood is a blessing. God is entrusting us to love, care for, and cultivate the hearts of our children. This is something that every mom I know takes seriously. However, if we are being honest, sometimes it isn't always easy to choose love. Especially when we are faced with the battles of character training, messy houses, financial pressure, sibling rivalry, and everything else in between. 

Today I am sharing 5 simple ways to choose love when chaos is breaking out all around you. These 5 tips will help you learn to choose love even when you don't feel like it. 

5 Simple Ways to Choose Love

1. Read, write, and pray Scriptures focused on love. 

This method, by far, has been the single most beneficial way that I've been able to choose love in so many stressful situations. By using my 30-Day Love Scripture Journal and 30 Printable Love Scripture Cards to help me examine my own heart, my ability to choose love has drastically improved. If you have not done an exercise like this, I encourage you to do so. It is literally life-changing for you and your family as you bring a stronger element of love into everyday life.

2. Before you react, take a moment to pause and reflect.

I don't know how many times I wish I would have paused before reacting to one of my children. As a result of not doing so in the past, I have definitely said things that were not edifying and definitely not pleasing to God. However, rather than allow myself to get trapped in mommy guilt, I have learned to pause and reflect before reacting (thanks to my love journal and cards). This gives me the ability to hear what God is saying about how to handle the situation, rather than let my emotions guide me.

3. Learn to pray without ceasing.

I know that this sounds "good" but to do it is another thing. As much as I'd love to say that my days are filled with prayer and prayer-based decisions, the reality is that life distracts. However, over the past 18 years of being a mom, I have slowly learned to pray all the time. It's turned into a beautiful conversation that is full of love, wisdom and peace. And I don't know how I survived without it.

4. Smile, even when you don't feel like it. 

Have you ever heard the saying, "Fake it 'til you make it"? It's sort of like that. Smiling is a very powerful way to show your children you love them enough to smile through the good and the bad times. As small as a smile may seem, it is an act of love that is contagious. I cannot think of a time that I saw someone smiling at me that didn't make me feel good inside.

5. If you don't already, choose a life verse. 

One of my early mentors during my college days taught me the importance of having a life verse. I prayed and read the Word until the Lord spoke to my heart giving me my life verse. I memorized it immediately and have continued to memorize God's Word continuously since then and that was over 20 years ago. My life verse propelled me into falling into a deeper love with God and His Word as it protected me from my greatest propensity to sin; my mouth.

In case you are curious, my life verse is Ephesians 4:29

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

I hope that these tips will help you make love the easy, most-often chosen action in your life. While choosing love can sometimes be difficult, it can be done. Let's challenge one another to discipline ourselves through God's Word to show love to our children and those around us each day. With God by our side, we can do this!

In Him,
Carlie Kercheval
Learning to Speak Life Books
Fulfilling Your Vows

 

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