I have this little problem. I love hard. I love deep. I love people too much. Rather, I love people too selfishly; with too many expectations. I get frustrated when people don’t love me the way that I love them. I find myself feeling disappointed when I don’t receive love back the way that I give it out. Even when people actually love me better than I love them, I have trouble recognizing it when it comes in a form that is unfamiliar to me. In my disappointment I have often told myself that the solution is to love them less. If I didn’t love them so much, it wouldn’t hurt so much when things don’t happen the way I think they should. I have tried countless times to love people less and I fail miserably at it. Why would I try to love someone less? Because the more neutral your feelings toward someone, the less the things they do (or don’t do) affect you. I’m tired of feeling hurt and disappointed. I am tired of hoping things will be different and finding they never are. I’m tired of feeling like I love people so much and they don’t love me back. It’s a lie from the enemy; People do love me. I’m just not that good at recognizing it.
Thank God Jesus is not like me! The truth is that I don’t need to learn to love less; I need to learn to love differently. I need to love with a pure love. A love that doesn’t ask for anything in return. A love without expectation. When the people didn’t love Jesus the way He loved them, did He give up on them or walk away? Did He try to love them less so that it wouldn’t hurt so much if they didn’t love Him back? No, He loves unconditionally. He loved us so deeply that He hung on a cross and died for us. That’s the kind of love I need. I need to learn to love more, not less. I need to learn to consistently be compassionate, turn the other cheek, and forgive. I need to learn to love like Jesus.
Lord, teach me to love like you love. Teach me how to see people the way that you do. Teach me not to view things from my selfish perspective, but to always see them through the mercy and love of the Lord. Teach me to love like Jesus.
In His Love,
Rebekah L.
Being Rebekah 
Oh yes… thank God Jesus isn’t like me either 🙂 I totally understand
Amen!!!
Love unconditionally! I like that line! Beautiful one there.
Regards,
Swetank (from Being Bettr) 🙂
Sacrificially. Unconditionally. Foolishly. Hilariously. These are all the types of love that exhibits a total trust in God. And I continue to let self get in the way. Thanks for the reminder to love like Christ.
Amen. If we all could be like Jesus Christ our Risen Lord. We try as we might. We fail and perish. It is us who are loved unconditionally; to provide unconditional love would be to be like Jesus. This is a hard task. But a glorious one to take advantage of.
Amen! A wonderful prayer. I too desire that. 1 John 3:16 says Jesus laid down His life for us. I remember looking at the Greek word for “laid down” once. It blew me away. It means Jesus placed, took His hands off, & walked away from His life without looking back. Amazing!