How Do you Give Love?
If you’re like me, receiving love is a challenge, so what more giving it?
It’s not that I DON’T love people, I just...didn’t know how to. Most people in my life love, love. They celebrate it, encourage it, and freely give it. I hated it when people were openly affectionate, it made me uncomfortable.
Then it got me thinking, “why would I hate love? Love is supposed to feel good.” If I am a daughter of Christ, who believes in Christ, and knows Christ, I should know that God is love (1 John 4:16). His love is displayed in many different ways through many different people. If I don’t like it, then I don’t like God... But I love God?
Confusing, I know.
A hard pill I had to swallow was that it was all about pride. Who was I to not accept love freely given to me? Who was I to withhold giving love to others?
I was humbled by the grace AND love of God.
Learn how YOU love to receive love.
What makes you feel loved? Maybe it feels weird because it’s not your love language. I recommend taking the 5 Love Languages quiz! Once you learn how you receive love, it gets easier to...actually...receive it. And it feels soooo good.
Be open (I know..tough) and willing to share how YOU feel loved to the people in your life.
Effective communication is key to any relationship with significant others, family, friends, God, AND yourself. The bible says to love your neighbors, this applies to your neighbors as well. Your neighbors will love you but they won’t know anything you don’t say. People are NOT mind readers. You can’t really blame others for things they don’t know.
You deserve to feel loved by your loved ones. People who care about you are willing to speak your love language.
Learn the love language of those you love.
This part was the hardest for me to do. As I was getting a hang of how I receive love, it was weird to love others. Expressing any kind of affection or emotion is a challenge. However, just as the bible says to love your neighbor, you gotta do it.
He commanded us to love others.
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” John 15:12
In light of the holiday season, (and Jesus’ birthday) why don’t we practice giving love. There is no “right or wrong” way to give love. There’s just God’s way. And we can only love God’s way if we have God in us. So, let’s dive in deeper in God, in His love, and do as he commanded: love each other as He loved you. <3
