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“My friend, where did we go wrong? My Lord, we forgot our sound. My soul, such a long way from my lips, my lungs, my native tongue. I want the world to sing in her native tongue, to sing it like when we were young. Back before the pendulum had swung to the shadows.”– NATIVE TONGUE by Switchfoot
 
The world we live in seems to be full of darkness. Pick up a newspaper or turn on the television. The headlines that stick out are the ones that cover stories of anger, bitterness, war, hatred, fear, doubt, and worry. The boldness of these headlines overrule the stories of good and it’s easy to feel like the languages of the shadows are the only ones forwarded to us.
 
Thankfully, there is a language that runs deeper than any of the ones above. One that’s more powerful and can bring light into a world of darkness. A common language between people, even if it’s hidden beneath several layers.
 
The language of love.
 
“Let all that you do be done in love.” – 1 Corinthians 16:14
 
Let your intentions be out of love, not out of selfish motives. Let the way you see others be out of love, not with lust or hate. Let the way you approach God be in love, not out of anger or seeking Him to fulfill earthly desires. Let the words you speak be out of love. Let EVERYTHING be done in love. 
 
Doing everything in love isn’t as easy as it was to write that short Bible verse. In fact, it is downright hard. Living in a world filled with unhappy, negative words and actions influences the way we do things. 
 
Doing things in love and responding in love is often the last thing on my mind, especially when my buttons are being pushed. And yet, loving others is a command found over and over again in the Bible. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 offers a simple, step-by-step on guide on how to do everything with love.

1. BE ON GUARD.

As you go through your day, there will always be that certain thing that pushes your buttons and sends you off the deep end. Identifying the things that do this whether they are big or small.

You may not necessarily be able to avoid theses situations, but if you know your tendency to overact when presented with these situations, you can prepare yourself to respond in a calm manner. By choosing to be “on guard,” you can plan how you’ll respond and ask God to help you have the right response.

2. STAND FIRM IN THE FAITH.

Root yourself in Love by spending time with Him through the Word. 

By starting your day with your attention on God through time spent reading your Bible will give your day a more positive outlook and help you stand  firm in the faith when things start to bother you.  I’m not saying you need to have an elaborate Bible study, but putting in at little bit of time to get your heart and mind right with God is one way to stand firm in the faith. 

3. BE COURAGEOUS. BE STRONG.

The world is filled with temptations and obstacles ready to tear us down. Sometimes those challenges hit us out of nowhere and other times they can be foreseen. Being courageous and strong in the Lord is how we are instructed to face the difficult circumstances (including difficult people), that cross our paths. We don’t need to run away or hide from these situations. Nor do we need to face them with a bitter heart and tongue. We simply need to face them with the courage and strength God gives us, and by doing so, we will be able to respond in the native tongue of love.

Mastering these three steps is not a fail-proof guarantee that we will do everything in love at all times, but it will guide us in that direction. There are still going to those moments that we fail to act and respond in love, but if we keep these instructions from 1 Corinthians in mind, we’ll better prepared to love others.