lit life and discernment

i just read a book called Lord, Change My Attitude: Before it's Too Late by James MacDonald. our church's women's Bible study read it. By it, God lit corners of my life that were dim and taught me new ways of seeing ie lit life; by it, God also taught me discernment by MacDonald's extrapolative statements ie discernment.

the chapters partner in twos, beginning with an attitude that needs replacing then followed by an attitude with which to replace the former. one chapter, about love replacing criticism, accomplished both of the results mentioned before.

example of lit life

by this chapter, God gave me clarity about three relationships, each stained by my error and evil of failing to love God-like. my specific wrongs were jealousy and not hoping all things (because love hopes all things and covers over a multitude of sins). an example of the latter, not hoping all things, is assuming motives or attitudes behind action, assuming someone meant ill by an action without knowing. God spurred me to go to my sisters to ask for forgiveness. i'm thankful that each forgave me!

example of discernment

by this same chapter (amongst lots of other examples), God moved me to a place of wariness because the author kept seeming to state that because all nouns, verbs and all else done apart from love are worthless, we shouldn't use nouns, verbs or all else unless love partners with them.

here is a parallel example:

i know i should desire to pray when i pray, but i don't, therefore i won't pray until i desire it.

or

i know i should desire to care for my crying baby when i care, but i don't, therefore i won't care for him/her until i desire it.

this falls apart (clearly in the latter example), practically, because if we only do things when we "feel" it, a lot wouldn't get done!, and Biblically, often in doing what we're commanded, God provides feeling, plus commitment isn't just doing when feeling.

for example, the Psalmist questions himself about his downcast soul, telling himself that he will again rejoice in God. this is one exemplification of working through our lack of feeling or feeling the opposite of what we should.

my argument - i think grounded by the Bible - is that it is best to do all by love, but, if love is not there, it is still better to do, without love, than not to do, though we should ask God for love.