The gift to yourself in loving another

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

CHASING the dream of happiness, most of us have more than once come to the end of our tether. We try a thing, before trying something else, all the while getting further from that contented place we’re searching to find.

The fact is we’re looking and so many of us cannot stop searching until we find what we’re looking for. Yet we never seem to quite find what we’re looking for. Even in meeting Jesus our vision is impeded as we see through sin-stained eyes. We continue desiring what we cannot attain. We demand what we think we deserve. Pretty soon we’re judging and punishing others for the fact they cannot give us what we need. We seek from people what only God can give us.

We continue seeking different results (contentment) using the same selfish method.

Love one another. That was Jesus’ final command of the disciples. Okay, anyone who knows their Bible knows this from John 13.

Now imagine what happens the moment you think of another person and are kind toward them; suddenly you’re no longer thinking of your happiness, but theirs. You decide to continue loving them the way you can — no rocket science in it, even if it feels a little unnatural.

Something happens to our vision when we redirect our focus. When we join our mind with other people’s minds, and hearts become aligned, our problems seem to get smaller. They don’t change in size or significance, but we agonise less, and we trust God more.

Contentment comes when we divert our mental energy onto things bigger than us. It’s not forgetting that we, too, have our own issues we’re facing, but it’s putting our issues into their correct order.

We feel God’s love when we attempt to love others as God loves them.