Unconditional love is the goal.

As you go through life, it is characteristic for you generally to feel protective of yourself. It may be the need for physical security. Perhaps that protectiveness is one of image, how others view you. Perhaps that protectiveness is how you want to view yourself. But much of what is done is done or motivated by need for that protection and is therefore defensive. This can be such a shortsighted view of life. You have not been given human life to be defensive. You have been given human life to learn love. Love cannot be defensive. It cannot be self-protective. It can only be given, offered, and can be graciously received. But love is never offered defensively, for that is conditional. Love which is offered unconditionally is the ultimate goal.

Sometimes love may be offered consciously unconditionally, and that in itself can serve to increase a sense of self-respect, because one is doing it unconditionally. The self-conscious offering of love for whatever reason is not the objective of God. It is the natural outpouring, the unbridled urge to reach out to offer concern or forgiveness, support, encouragement. A spontaneous explosion of emotional giving selflessly is what is implied by unconditional love. That is the goal certainly. It is also natural not to achieve it very often. But when such a goal is reached, it is well to be remembered so that you may have the faith and confidence to again give and then give again and again.

If you feel it is not difficult to give love daily, try to find one way each day of enriching the life of another through love until you next meet again. Such an effort can be met of course through prayer, and that is certainly essential. But you are being challenged here to do something about the offering of love, not grudgingly but almost unconsciously, as spontaneously as possible. It takes effort. One does not just naturally give out love. You must look for opportunities. But try serving as a true hand of God in the days ahead, every day. You will feel your life will have more focus, and you will sense perhaps a change in your daily priorities. Your life will be more fulfilled. You will find greater peace.