Everyone is worthy of our love, even as we are as worthy to receive it ourselves.
@innertalks (21087)
Australia
May 23, 2018 12:29am CST
Our desire to receive love should not be greater than our desire to give love, though.
To receive God's love is of course very good for us all, but to stock it up inside of ourselves doesn't so much desecrate the love, but more keep it from expanding, as love must be given out to be its full self in us.
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage."
The ancient Chinese philosopher and writer, Lao Tzu said this.
It is no good just having strength on its own, though. We need to act on it, and that takes courage.
Courage and strength must go together then. If we receive love, we must also give it out.
Otherwise, we are isolated, and isolating ourselves, as much as a rock is in the middle of an ocean.
Are you being an isolated rocky island in the middle of an ocean of love?
Photo Credit:
The photo used here was freely sourced from the free media site: pexels.com.
7 people like this
8 responses
@innertalks (21087)
• Australia
23 May 18
Yes, I agree, in all things we need balance, even in love.
1 person likes this
@innertalks (21087)
• Australia
23 May 18
@josie_ I have seen love compared with light, or with truth, and knowledge.
Some want to receive these things for the self alone. We really do need to shine the light that we have found ourselves, outwards into the world onto others, sharing our own truth, and knowledge, with all, and when we do this, we are no longer being selfish, we are actually being loving.
2 people like this
@josie_ (9763)
• Philippines
23 May 18
Love that is possessive can be suffocating.
I'm reminded of a Zen anecdote. A nun made a statue of the Buddha covered in gold leaf. She carried it with her wherever she when.
One day she sought shelter in a temple that had many Buddha statues.
She wanted to burn incense before her golden Buddha but didn't wish the fragrant perfume straying into the other statues. So she devise a funnel through which the smoke would ascend only to her statue.
This blackened the nose of her Buddha making it very ugly.
4 people like this
@innertalks (21087)
• Australia
23 May 18
Thanks Josefina. I liked your Zen anecdote. It makes a great point.
One can only be redeemed by loving many, becoming many, and then when this is done, the many are all redeemed too, by becoming one.
2 people like this
@innertalks (21087)
• Australia
23 May 18
I am not sure if we should limit unconditional love though, if we did, could we still call it unconditional?
Would God ever limit his love for us, or like the sun, is it always shining on us with a full unconditional intensity?
2 people like this
@Shavkat (137238)
• Philippines
24 May 18
@innertalks I do think it cannot be limited. God never had his limitations in creating us.
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@innertalks (21087)
• Australia
24 May 18
@Shavkat Yes, I would have to believe God is without limitations too, as what could possibly limit him. There is nothing greater than God outside of God that could limit him, I would say.
2 people like this
@caopaopao (12395)
• China
23 May 18
I quite agree with you, dear friend. Giving is receiving. Love is not just about getting, but more about giving.
3 people like this
@innertalks (21087)
• Australia
23 May 18
Yes, I agree with you. When we hoard our light of love only within ourselves, greed develops in us, and problems arise. We need to share our light to help light up the world with it.
2 people like this
@mlgen1037 (29886)
• Manila, Philippines
23 May 18
Hi Steve. For every action, there is an equal reaction. One cannot go without the other. Most people are one-sided and thwarts the very essence of "real" love. Unrequited love gives courage but knowing that someone will not love you the same, therefore it is a failure. Receiving love on the other hand without giving anything in return is selfishness. So for me, real love is a complete package.
2 people like this
@innertalks (21087)
• Australia
23 May 18
Yes, I would certainly agree that love is a complete package, and yet being infinite in its scope, we could say it is open-ended too. A package that we receive, which is ever completing itself within us.
But to me, love, of course, is not reactive to anything.
Love probably is the only thing to have this quality about it. It acts without reaction. We should receive it in the same way, accepting it for what it is, and not reacting to it in our own way, which then tends to lessen or distort it, and can even turn it into a form of selfishness then instead for us.
Love is just forever just itself, love. Love is the energy of God being God.
On the other hand, the reactiveness of life is well known, and it always reacts and counter-reacts against other forms of life, until it comes to accept all, by loving all, as God does, then it doesn't react, it just loves too.
1 person likes this
@mlgen1037 (29886)
• Manila, Philippines
24 May 18
@innertalks Hello Steve. Basically when love is either received or given, you are loving in itself? But why is it people get hurt when they love? It says love is God and therefore no one should feel pain.
1 person likes this
@mlgen1037 (29886)
• Manila, Philippines
25 May 18
@innertalks Thank you, Steve. It is okay because I am learning. We are interconnected with God thru love and he feels what we feel. And if we go away from love, we therefore separate ourselves from God. I have noticed that life is harder when you are not with God. 
1 person likes this
@Jessabuma (31700)
• Baguio, Philippines
23 May 18
Ohh very well stated.. Just like the quote said"it's better to give than to receive". Giving is a natural response of love
3 people like this
@innertalks (21087)
• Australia
23 May 18
Yes, I would agree with that quote.
Wanting to receive all of the time is stifling for us, as mentioned above.
Receiving and wanting to continually receive love, or anything else besides, can be controlling of us too, sometimes even in an obsessional way.
We really need to balance it up by giving out love, and as you say, "giving is a natural response of love."
2 people like this
@Shiva49 (26231)
• Singapore
24 May 18
All are loved but we fail to respond at times due to our distrust of others.
When David Goodall opted for euthanasia, we felt a dent in our collective conscience.
That is similar to how I feel when someone takes own life for some reason.
When we feel wanted it is due to the love of others. When few go beyond their call of duty, then that leaves a lasting impression.
I have tried to spread cheer, make others feel wanted even when I was hurting physically or mentally.
A sincere smile, which is an act of love, is a magic door-opener.- siva
1 person likes this
@innertalks (21087)
• Australia
24 May 18
Nicely put siva.
A sincere smile is always good, and an empathetic tear, is sometimes welcomed too.
Love can come forwards in many ways, if it is not being stifled, due to that distrust of others, and even of ourselves, as you just pointed out there too.
1 person likes this
@innertalks (21087)
• Australia
24 May 18
@Shiva49 Yes, I believe that is so, the love added will always be felt by the other person, be it anyone.
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@Shiva49 (26231)
• Singapore
24 May 18
@innertalks When I was few years old I saw on a pillowcase in our home "God is love".
I used to wonder what it meant; maybe because we have many gods!
An act of love can even cut through a tough cookie of a person; that is the power of love.
People pause and react positively when we add love to our interactions even subtly - siva
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@innertalks (21087)
• Australia
23 May 18
Yes, I would even say love is nothing without it being shared. A silent love, does very little to help others.
2 people like this
