"Giving with strings of secret expectations attached is the greatest invitation to heartbreak. That's not love. That's manipulation." - Lysa TerKeurst (Uninvited)
So incredibly true. "The greatest invitation to heartbreak." That's the part that hit me. And the fact that loving while secretly expecting something in return is manipulative. I'm so very guilty of this. I didn't even know until this quote hit me like a ton of bricks. I thought 'ouch, I do that.....' God forgive me. And prior to reading that passage, I read this one:
"Love given from a heart whose real motivation is, what I'm hoping I'll get in return, it's not really love at all." - Lysa TerKeurst (Uninvited)
When you love others; when you serve, when you reach out to help someone in need, what is your motivation for doing so? And be truthful with yourselves. Are you quietly hoping you'll get rewarded, or that the love you give will be reciprocated? Don't be too hard on yourself if that's you.... I think it's pretty normal for most of us, if we're being honest with ourselves. But we can learn to recognize when we do it, and repent in that moment and pray this:
God, teach me to love without expectation, show me that to Give is the reward itself. Teach me to Love in the way You do, purely, and with no hidden agendas, in Jesus name, amen.
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