V-I-M Worksheet

1. Vision: Develop a clear picture in your mind of what you would look like as a loving person by reading I Corinthians 13:4-7 several times.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. I Corinthians 13:4-7

Write out these verses in the first person. For example: I am patient, I am kind etc.

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• Pick out 3-4 characteristics of love in vs. 4-7 that you are weak in. Then with the Holy Spirit’s help visualize you living out each of these in real life situations.

• Once you have a clear vision of what you would look like as a loving person, move on to Intention.

2. Intention: Commit to live out your vision of becoming a loving person.
Do not commit too soon. Wrestle with your Vision. Are you ready to devote yourself to becoming a loving person? It will take work. You will need to change. Count the cost.
In John 5 Jesus asked the following perceptive question to a man who had been an invalid for 38 years, Do you want to get well? The obvious answer would have been Yes! However, Jesus must have discerned a hesitancy in the man’s spirit to get well. Maybe he thought about the change that being healed would mean. So with complete honesty write down your answer to the following question:

DO I REALLY WANT TO BECOME A LOVING PERSON AND MAKE THE NECESSARY CHANGES TO BECOME ONE?

Write your answer here:

If your answer is Yes, then move onto Means.

3. Means: Practice Spiritual Disciplines in Dependence on the Holy Spirit

A couple of things:
• Spiritual Disciplines don’t change us.
• Spiritual Disciplines enable us to connect with God who changes us.

Several Spiritual Disciples that you can practice in dependence on the Holy Spirit to become a loving person are:
1. Solitude - Spending time away from others. Just you and God.
2. Silence - No conversation
3. Fasting - Abstaining from food or certain types of food.
4. Sacrifice - Giving up something for the sake of others
5. Service - Caring for others by serving them
6. Meditation - Chewing on God’s word
7. Prayer - Speaking and listening to God

Important! Spiritual Disciplines do not earn favor with God! Done in dependence on the Holy Spirit they connect us with God who transforms us.

Don’t try all the above spiritual disciplines at once. Try a few at a time. Over time you may want to experiment with all the above disciplines.