Why should "true" love include personal sacrfice?

[75renegade]

I believe personal sacrifice, and the degree to which we choose to give it, is a direct reflection of our comittment to the ones we claim to love.

Unfortunately, the authenticity of personal sacrifice is lost when we give it only to receive some equal or greater benefit for ourselves.

It seems we all try to offer some semblence of self-denial, in relationships, (me included), but primarily when we have a sense that it may come back to us some how.

Oh for the courage to love another without the hope of receiving any personal gain in return.

We're only on this earth for a moment, and then we're gone. Wouldn't it be awesome if our one and only life offered some hope and encouragement to the ones we love?

All the ones who gave their lives so willingly on Sept. 11, give me encouragement to be willing to offer the same kind of love to those folks at every level of relationship in my own life.

If only I could put aside my own agenda, long enough to let the needs of others pierce my heart.............and change the way I live my life.

 

[Gonzo]

True love "should" not include anything. These acts are completely without forethought or motivation. If you are looking for a "just reward", it's a selfish motivation, not one for love. Another would never ask for you to do something against your will, your moral fiber, the law or that has unseen, negative repercussions. Again, selfishness.


you haven't known her long enough, Joe

 

[puddy tat]

True Love is not conditional and you don't seem to realize that just yet.....If it is "true love", there are no nagging questions, no second thoughts and no doubts. There is no price for love and certainly no strings attached. I, myself, only realized that fairly recently and only after experiencing it from someone.

 

[DarkPrincess]

I give myself a lot when I am with someone and my only hopes is that I get treated good back. Is that too much to ask? STORY TIME:

My ex used to come home and I would give him a hug and greet him at the door and offer him dinner or something to drink. You know what he would say? "I need to change and then I am going to my mom;s for some frozen pizza" and shrug me away like I meant nothing to him. But I still tried to treat him good....WHY?

Ugh...

 

[Noite Escura]

It seems we all try to offer some semblence of self-denial, in relationships, (me included), but primarily when we have a sense that it may come back to us some how.

Oh for the courage to love another without the hope of receiving any personal gain in return.

We're only on this earth for a moment, and then we're gone. Wouldn't it be awesome if our one and only life offered some hope and encouragement to the ones we love?

I know what you mean. But it IS trully difficult feeling true, unconditional love. Only a few people in earth can do it. Unlike you though, I believe we don't live just one life. In believe some day we all would do it!

 

[75renegade]

Hey Puddy tat........

True Love is not conditional and you don't seem to realize that just yet.....If it is "true love", there are no nagging questions, no second thoughts and no doubts. There is no price for love and certainly no strings attached. I, myself, only realized that fairly recently and only after experiencing it from someone.

I couldn't agree with you more! I like yer example, "no nagging questions". In part I asked this question to bait discussion, and in part as a means of personal reflection.

I've found the best model of unconditional love is shown to us in the person of Christ, who although He existed in the form of God, (before coming to Earth as a man), He did not consider equality with God, something to be grasped, but He emptied Himself, taking the form a of a slave............and was obedient to the point of death on a cross. (paraphrase from Phil.2:5-8)

As mentioned above, few folks have the ability to give it. I believe the only folks who can give a semblence of that kind of love are the ones who have received it for themselves, from the examples shown by caring parents, loved ones or perhaps close friends.

At any rate, to love folks unconditionally is a rare and valuable quality, to be sure.

(P.S. GONZ: You may be right, thanks for the word of caution! It did not go unnoticed.)