Tuesday, April 29, 2014

"There is no third possibility: love is either conditional or unconditional.  Either I attach conditions to my love for you or I do not.  To the extent that I do attach such conditions, I do not really love you.  I am only offering an exchange, not a gift.  And true love is and must always be a free gift.
The gift of my love means this: I want to share with you whatever I have that is good.  You did not win a contest or prove yourself worthy of this gift.  It is not a question of deserving my love."

John Powell
Unconditional Love, page 65

As a clarification....in life there are MANY things that ARE conditional---but love should not be one of them.  Jesus loved the vilest of sinners...but he could not always bless them as blessings are "predicated upon obedience to law" (laws of heaven).   The privilege of driving a car is conditional....getting paid at work is conditional....respect is conditional.....being trusted by others is conditional....having good health is conditional.......there are MANY MANY THINGS IN LIFE THAT ARE CONDITIONAL AND WE MUST MEET THE SET REQUIREMENTS IN ORDER TO HAVE ANY DEGREE OF THOSE THINGS...

But LET US NOT MAKE LOVE CONDITIONAL...it is too essential to be conditional.  Let us give it freely--especially to those where it might be quite difficult for us to offer it due to the difficulty of the situation or relationship.
The story of the Prodigal Son is a classic regarding love being unconditional......he really did not "deserve" it but his father opened his arms to him anyway.
Jesus loves us even when we do not deserve it.  "The worth of souls is great in the sight of God (D&C 18:10-11)...worth is not conditional either.  But he cannot fully bless us if we are unwilling to obey Him.
Conditional aspects are real.  Unconditional aspects are much less in number...but they do exist and they seem to be essential. Identify them and do them and bless your own life and the lives of many others.
You may have a son or daughter who has broken the family rules in a major way...so he or she cannot have the privilege of going out with friends for three days (going out with friends is a conditional aspect of family living based upon obedience to family rules)...but you can still take your son or daughter or for an ice cream and just say "I did not want you to forget that I always love  you....I am just trying to help you learn that in our world of today there are rules and expectations we must learn to obey...while you are learning that lesson...just remember that the imposition of consequences does not mean the withdrawal of love."   Have a nice day. Jim

1 comment:

  1. So where's the Spanish version? -Woody Brison

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