We Are What We Love

What we love – or our affections – shape who we are. Therefore, we need to think about what we love and why, and increase or decrease these affections in our lives accordingly. Referencing the book You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit by James K.A. Smith, Mrs. Friess said that love is a habit, and can therefore “be shaped and configured, formed and known, by imitation and practice. Developing loves, then, is like driving a car or practicing the piano or swinging a golf club: it requires much practice or much habituation, until you end up doing it without thinking.”

Mrs. Friess concluded, “So, as you go about your week, remember to form your affections with discernment. The problem we encounter is that some loves are pursued actively by us and within our knowing, but others are picked up passively without our knowing. During the week, be aware of what is influencing you. Remember that your loves must be rightly ordered – some affections need to be developed and some diminished. Cultivate loves, desires, and affections that are true, beautiful, and good, because you will become what you love!”