There are 12 powers of the mind, and one of them is all heart

In Unity, the 12 powers are referred to as 12 faculties of mind. All are important, but I believe the power of love is foundational.

As written in 1 Corinthians 13:1 (NLT), “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”

This power of love resides in a place of great wisdom: our heart.

Unity cofounder Charles Fillmore, who created the 12 powers system, said love is the power that binds together the whole human family. Even further, he said, “In Divine Mind, love is the power that … binds in divine harmony the universe and everything in it; it is the great harmonizing principle known to man.”

Can we think of what life would be like without expressing love? As humans, I don’t believe it is possible for us to repress the power of love from coming forth.

where love comes from, the power of love, Unity 2021 Annual Theme, How to Stay Centered No Matter What

The Source of Love

Most often, we associate love with something we receive from another person. We received love from a mother or father (although not all parents express love). Or maybe we associate love with a romantic relationship.

Probably we all have been in relationships where romantic love has ended and we felt destitute. But love from another is a secondary source. The primary source of love comes from within. God is love and we are expressions of love.

Think about love. It comes from our inner self and is an inexhaustible supply. We can love our friends, family, romantic lovers, nature, animals, art, poetry, music, singing, volunteering, or just watching the ocean!

In the words of philosopher Huey Lewis in “The Power of Love”:

“Don’t need money, don’t take fame
Don’t need no credit card to ride this train.
It’s strong and it’s sudden and it’s cruel sometimes,
but it might just save your life.
That’s the power of love.”

It just might save your life! Love is a gift we activate within ourselves. When we give love, we actually receive love in that very moment because to love means we are expressing it. When we express it, we feel it!

The primary source of love comes from within. God is love and we are expressions of love.

Love: The Great Multiplier

If we want more love in our lives, the spiritual prescription is to love more. You may not like me, but that doesn’t mean I cannot love you. How great is that!

“I am so small I can barely be seen.

How can this great love be inside me?

Look at your eyes. They are small,

but they see enormous things.”

—Jalaluddin Rumi, The Essential Rumi

When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus responded, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:36-40 NIV).

All Love Is Self-Love

Personally, I have concluded that loving God is much easier than loving myself. Can I truly love myself when I have erred? Can I love myself when I’ve experienced financial setbacks that I judge myself for not having anticipated? Can I love myself when I face health challenges, especially if I regret not taking better care of my physical self?

Regret, judgment, and condemnation can feel overwhelming at times. How can I use the power of love during these times to center me in the Truth? How can I activate the power of love to enable me to love myself as much as I love God and my neighbor?

As a reminder of that inward versus outward focus during challenging times, I created an affirmation that may sound familiar but with a twist. I cannot tell you how often it has helped me to remember that the power of love comes from within and to know the importance of fully loving myself, warts and all, in order to fully express the loving being that God has sent me—and each of us—to be in this life.

Affirmation for Love

I Vow to LOVE myself

For Better or Worse

For Richer or Poorer

In Sickness and in Health

From this day Forward.

We have to love ourselves in order to truly love everyone else. The power of love is enormous. But it is up to us to put it into expression.

I send you my love.

About the Author

Rev. Bill Englehart is a Unity minister based in Southern California. He is a writer and speaker, workshop leader, and instructor for Unity Worldwide Spiritual Institute.

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