The one who does not love has not known God, because God is love.—1 John 4:8
Brainy Tip: We are wired for love. This statement is known as the optimism bias in science. Loving others is built into our natural design, which brings health, healing, and joy.
Choice is an integral part of love—love cannot exist without the freedom of choice, and God’s love for us has given us the power to choose. We have the power to choose life or death, blessings or curses. We are created in the image of God “who is love,” but we can still choose what sort of image we want to reflect into the world. Through the thoughts we build into our brain, which shape our future thoughts, words, and actions, we create the type of world we want to see.
We need to look deep into our inner person—the nonconscious mind. What kind of worldview do we have planted there? Does it need to change? Do we fail to love others? Do we truly know the Creator, whose loving image we bear? Do we feel at odds with ourselves, mentally and physically? I know I, for one, do not always act in love (especially when the grocery store lines are long and the person at the register is taking forever!).
Yet when we choose to take our thoughts captive and renew our minds, activating the wired-for-love design of our brain and body, we will learn to act, and react, in love. As a result, we will embrace our true identity as image-bearers of a God who is love. We will feel at peace within ourselves, which will give us a deep, rich sense of physical and mental wellbeing; we are acting like we should, since we are wired to love.