Good Quote
"When you live for others out of unconditional love, you will be fulfilled and satisfied.
But when you do things for others out of obligation and expectation, you will feel resentment because not everyone will treat you the way you want them to."
Author Amanda Beth
A friend of mine posted this quote on Facebook this morning. My mind immediately raced...there is so much to pull from this quote. Coming off of my last post on learning to love, I really do believe it takes unconditional love for others in order to be happy. Expecting things outta other people is miserable and disappointing. Expecting things for other people is miserable and disappointing. But loving someone for exactly who they are regardless of their sin or stupidity is fulfilling and satisfying...I couldn't agree more with this author.
I also think this is true of ourselves. Without even knowing it, we can set certain expectations on ourselves and let ourselves down over and over again. When we learn to slow down and fall in love with exactly who God created we trade in disappointment for satisfaction, even when we fall.
The second part of the quote sounds miserable to me. Doing things out of obligation and expectation. I can't decide if that sounds more fun and rewarding to me than sticking a million needles in my skin. Seriously! How fun is it to do things because you have to when there are a million things you'd love to do and don't have time for. Good things, not just fun. There is nothing more dreadful than going out of your way for someone, simply because they have guilted you into it, and then being left with nothing more than another request. More guilt.
...you will feel resentment because no everyone will treat you the way you want them to. It stirred in me. It's easy to point fingers at people who live this way, but when I hear resentment and I look at my life it's convicting. I'm a grudgeholder. It's freeing to see why people act like this. Why people guilt others, resent others, and are so.very.unhappy. It's beneficial for us to realize who those people are in our lives and pin just why and how they are draining our joy, energy, and love.
While it's great to realize the people in your life who are this person, but if you can't apply it to your own live and learn something, it's useless. I want to lower my expectations of myself and others and release those who are draining me of my joy, energy, and love by forgiving them and loving them (and myself and my family) enough to not preform out of guilt.
Pray without ceasing.
1 Thes. 5:17
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