Love is a rush for me. To show love to people is a serious rush.
Rush = A sudden strong emotion or physical feeling.
Some people try and get a rush from drugs, or a sport, or ?
I was giving this a lot of thought. When or if I do something nice for people--help someone out in a big or small way, show an act of kindness, etc--at this point in my life I do not do it to try and gain approval from whoever I am doing something thoughtful for. I do it because it is a serious rush to brighten someone's day. To help make their life a little easier. To show they matter.
I'm talking about whether it's something nice or kind to a neighbor, stranger, spouse, one of my kids or in-laws or grandkids, co-workers... If they showed no greater appreciation for me, I can honestly say I really don't care. It isn't about that.
I'm thinking back, when I was younger, I sometimes did "loving things" to gain approval (which was all right because that was a great start). And the Bible actually gives us motivation to love for what even might seem to be for our own gain, "we reap what we sow." God knows we are made of dust. He made us.
But as I've lived life, I have such a real appreciation for our greatest call in life. To Love. To love without expecting anything back at all is seriously the very best.
Now, there is NO question that when there is reciprocation it touches my heart deeply and means the world to me. And to be very honest, most the time I absolutely feel love and kindness returned to me in a huge way. But there has certainly been times where I haven't felt reciprocation, but that will in no way stop me from being loving to that sort of person or situation. Because that is not why I do it. I do it for the rush.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”
The Bible says "it is better to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). The funny thing is, is I can't pat myself on the back for doing something loving because I do get more out of it always than what I give. Not from the person but from the rush that comes. I believe this rush comes directly from the hand of GOD.
I used to read this verse and sort of think it meant something like... It will be better if you give. That is the right decision to make. But as this would surely be true, I'm also starting to think it also just means: it is better to give than to receive. It means "It is actually better to give... it's funner to give.. it's more enjoyable to give than to receive.
In Matthew 5 it also talks about loving your enemies... and I'm telling you the truth, there is a huge rush in doing that too. Because it's against everything in us and stands out like crazy. It's so unique and super cool. People do not know what to do with that. It's a rush.
All I'm saying today... experience the rush of being loving. You may be misunderstood at times or thought to be trying to gain someones approval. Who cares. Enjoy the rush of being loving. It's super fun. 💛