Who do we love? God? Our family and friends? Ourselves?
What would be possible if I loved without limit? Would I fly towards all the difficult but necessary things without hesitation and grumbling, eager to do them? Would I put others first? Perhaps I’d give without calculating the cost. I’d certainly forgive instantly, even if I were suffering hurt. Maybe love would conquer my laziness, my selfishness, my inclination to ignore what I should do, and my fear.
If I loved enough, would I be free of everything that tempts me not to do what is right? Would love conquer my excuses?
Two people chat, promoting the idea of love. I nod. Yes, kids need love. There’s no doubt about that. Then one person asks, “Can we love someone too much?” The reply is instant: a vigorous nod, “Yes.”
We need to love, but not too much? Where’s the line that we shouldn’t step over? How do we know when we’ve reached it?
After some pondering, I wondered if our definitions of love differ.
If we give our kids everything they desire, don’t expect anything from them, remove every obstacle in front of them so they have an easy path through life, and give in to their demands just so they’ll like us, is that love?
Or is love accepting our kids (and others) as they are, without seeing them as projects we need to fix or trying to transform them into the people we think they should be? Is it recognising how valuable they are? Is it forgiving their mistakes and not making them feel bad when they fail? Is it admitting our own mistakes? Is it guiding, encouraging, and working together so we all become the people God created us to be?
Is it loving our kids unconditionally the way God loves us?
Where does love come from? How can we love? How can we love more?
We can love because we receive love. God loves us. We love our kids. In turn, they love. It’s a chain. We’re all connected. Unless we break a link by thinking we should hold back our love because we’re afraid of spoiling our kids. We might believe we can love too much.
I want to be enveloped in love, bathed in its warm power, so I can go out and do what’s right. And I want to give that love to my kids.
Do you want to be loved and love without limit too?
