I am the Beloved

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

~1 John 4:7-8 

According to the dictionary the meaning of “beloved” is being cherished, treasured and dearly-loved.  It takes a relationship to be the ‘beloved.’

From the moment we are born on this earth we have the need to be loved.  It is hard-wired into our human existence to be loved.  Babies who are not experiencing being cared for beyond their physical needs such as being cuddled and touched often grow into uncaring and selfish adults.  As humans we find ourselves challenged to find the balance between our physical (external) and spiritual (internal) needs.  We are very much aware of our five physical senses but only claim the “6^th sense” as a tool for intuition.  We know now that there are equally spiritual senses corresponding to the five physical senses.  More and more people have ESP (extra sensory perception) experiences.  And that is nothing to laugh about because even science has recognized the “other” invisible world as real and measureable.

In a book called “Doorway to the Soul” Ron Scolastico discusses the deep hunger for love, connection, and spiritual experience we may feel at a certain time in our life. Some people may get restless, frustrated, or even depressed because they cannot find fulfillment in their physical activities only.

“Our greatest fulfillment lies in giving ourselves to others.”

~Henri J.M. Nouwen, Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World

All other creatures just have to grow, taking in the sun, water, food, etc. and they fulfill their given purpose.

As humans we have one added (often overlooked) aim and that can only be achieved when we use our free will.  To become fully aware of this faculty of our mind we have to discover our true identity.  We were created in the image of God, our heavenly parent.  To learn that we are children of the all-powerful, all-knowing, and eternal Creator of this infinite universe is a lot to digest.  For many of us we cannot fathom that we have infinite beauty, goodness, and love hidden inside of us.  It may be a tremendous challenge to take off the many filters of our own perspective, taught beliefs, and adapted opinions.  It takes a lot of effort and good intentions to find the deeper realities.  Could changing our attitude about our true identity be the missing link to internal peace?

“It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get.”

~ Confucius

 

It takes humility to discover that blessedness and being the “beloved.”  One place to start is to be grateful for life itself, for what we have, where we live and whom we come in contact with.  Becoming aware of God’s presence takes practice; the rewards are infinite.  Practicing consideration and kindness to others takes the focus away from ourselves.  Paying attention to those connections we discover infinite power, power to change and to grow ourselves spiritually.  With the right intention comes even greater fulfillment.