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Habits of the
Loveshaped Life

Four core habits define the rhythm for experiencing the heart-shaping power of God’s love: See, Meditate, Accept, and Rest. We believe that these habits are the space where deep, life-long change unfolds. To explore them, simply click through each tab.

“I had a safe place to talk to someone about life’s problems.”

— Sandra

The Way of the
Loveshaped Life

The Way of the Loveshaped Life is grounded in life-changing dynamics introduced by Jesus in his Inaugural Address (Matthew 5-7). Each of these components work together dynamically as we follow Jesus. They take us from owning up to our brokenness (top left) to becoming agents of God’s peacemaking mission (top right). Each dynamic moves Jesus-followers into deeper immersion in God’s healing love, reshaping them into beautiful people who love like he loves, actively participants in bringing goodness into their space in the world. Notably, The Way is a journey that unfolds in the warm, attractive wonder of God’s all-out love. The Way also teaches us is that goodness is born through emptying us of self-interest, thus making space to be filled-up with the fullness of God’s goodness. In other words, goodness is purely a divine gift, not the product of a box full of self-help tools. What we are made for cannot be attained by human struggle and determination but by abandoning ourselves to the goodness of God.

Own Up Acknowledging our brokenness as candidly as possible to God (and others), begins to open our hearts for deep healing. This radical opening is possible in the light of God’s unconditional love and embrace.

Release As we open our hearts, we begin to feel more keenly both the pain we have caused and the injuries that have been inflicted. This means our heart is beginning to come alive! Our sorrow is comforted by God’s healing forgiveness.

Shift With a heart coming alive, we begin to see everyone differently. We recognize both the reality of our brokenness AND the wonder of our value. In this space, we become gentle toward others, seeing ourselves as one among equals.

The Awakening is the shape of our journey as we open our hearts to the inflow of God’s radical love. These three dynamics can be painful, but they expose our hearts to the life-giving wonder of God’s presence. It is important to note that these dynamics are a foundational, on-going part of our lives. If any are absent, our growth is stunted and deformed. Only as we embrace each dynamic, can we experience a truly flourishing life.

The Craving is born as we walk through the painful valley of The Awakening, which leaves our hearts exposed and full of longing: longing for the fullness of God’s love; longing to be filled-up with his goodness; longing to love like he loves—and we will not be disappointed. In respose to our craving, we will receive, as it were, “a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14, NIV). This constant, deep refreshing is the result of God’s actual, personal companionship. It is out of this deep, constant filling that a life of radical love is born and sustained.

Overflow Filled-up with God’s goodness and enjoying his personal company, our hearts—and then our lives—begin to take on the shape of his love. We become agents of mercy wherever we are.

Refining As we serve others and continue leaning into The Way, two astounding things takes place. First, we find ourselves seeing God’s beautiful heart with increasing clarity, and second, we notice we’re becoming increasingly beautiful people.

Peacemaking As this process matures us, and our lives take on the shape of God’s healing love, we discover that we are, incrementally, becoming an active agents of peace in the families and communities.

The Overflow is who we become as we experience the infilling of God’s presence and the shaping of our lives after his own, beautiful heart. These dynamics are fascinating as they point to a life of goodness as one of overflow rather than hard work. Second, we discover that a life of selfless goodness is itself a shaping process, as it empties our hearts of self-interest and opens us more deeply to the infilling of God’s love.

“I’m loving the book Secrets for a Loveshaped Life.”

— Reader