“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” –  1 Corinthians 13:2 (TNIV)

Last year my first post on this blog was about Love, so it seems fitting that my first post of 2016 be in the same category as well. Since it is 216 words for 2016, I must be brief!

In 2016, I’d like for you to consider how you could practice what the Bible calls “Loving-kindness.”  The Old Testament word is “Hesed,” which means “to be merciful, loving and kind.”

Dr. Spiros Zodhiates states that this is a characteristic of God’s love to us, and hopefully, this characteristic is one that we will practice with those who are close to us or with those who are not, as the word infers we treat others with love, kindness and mercy as if a close relationship did exist.

What might this look like practically? Mercy primarily means to “alleviate suffering.” Love means to treat others with esteem, respect, favor, honor, acceptance and devotion. Kindness is graceful (versus harsh) behavior that we demonstrate to others because this characteristic is part of our nature and it “overflows” from within ourselves to others.

So I ask you to consider, not who you could demonstrate Loving-kindness to, but how you could consistently demonstrate this quality of Love to others during 2016 and beyond.  May God Bless you in your effort!

TeleHealth/Video counseling sessions are available for those who prefer to meet online – Dr. McGill