"A new commandment I give unto you. That ye love one another: as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." John 13:34.
Proactive people look for alternative ways to approach a problem. Reactive people say, "There is nothing I can do; that's just the way I am." Reactive people say, "I can't": proactive people say, "I choose". King David was a proactive person; he took responsibility for his own life. He did not blame anyone for his sin. He was driven by the fact that he had sinned against God and that God was a merciful and forgiving God. After he was confronted about his wrong doing, he took the initiative and repented for his sin. David could have done nothing about his sin and just said, "Well, it's all over now, I've sinned and there is nothing I can do about it: I know I'll never be right with God again." But instead, he cried out to God for mercy, forgiveness, and cleansing; and he received it. Even when David was being chased by King Saul, who was trying to kill him, David chose to faithfully serve Saul and love him. Proactive people can love, in spite of. Some people never learn to love in spite of, and they are miserable all their life. Love is a verb, - an action word. It is something you do.
When Valentine's Day comes around, people all over will be doing love. Children may be fixing breakfast for their parents; husbands will be showing their appreciation for their wife by taking her to dinner; wives will be showing their appreciation for their husband by preparing a special meal; and they all do this because they choose to love, in spite of. Children are not thinking about spankings or punishments they have received; husbands are not thinking about an argument they had last week; wives are not thinking about some careless act their husband did in the past. No, they are loving in site of.
You see, we can choose to serve, we can choose to be kind, we can choose to encourage, we can choose to show appreciation. We can even choose to forgive and forget. We can choose to get out of debt or keep spending like crazy. We can choose to recapture our health or keep doing the same things that will lead us to an early grave. So, we choose to love ourselves, or not to love ourselves; and we choose to love others or not to love others. Our Lord Jesus Christ was proactive when He walked this earth. He chose not to retaliate and try to prove Himself. When He went to the cross, He said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." He chose to love in spite of. "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Philippian 2:5-8.
