Unconditional Love: Why Everybody Needs It and How to Give It Away

Is unconditional love a part of your daily living? Many relationship experts, marriage counselors, psychologists and therapists agree on one thing. Love offers the most powerful healing force in relationships. However, love is an often misunderstood.

Love means many things. Love of friends often means being nice to those who are nice to us. Boyfriends and girlfriends say, "I love you" when they start to get serious with each other.

Married love implies a lifelong commitment to one spouse that begins when a woman and a man exchange wedding promises. Family love starts when parents have a child and dedicate their time, energy and affection to raising children.

Today, many people suffer because they lack unconditional love and are addicted to conditional love. That is, many relationships are based on liking someone only if they receive affection and attention first. Conditional love means that you have to "earn" someone's love, attention, affection and kindness by pleasing others. Conditional love leads to the feeling of being judged - another human being determines our worth and value. Anxiety and fear, especially in children, teens and vulnerable adults result from conditional love. Every person deserves dignity and respect for being born as a human being.

In the New Testament of the Bible, agape love is the type of love that Jesus taught His disciples to practice. Agape love is unconditional love - love that is freely given without expecting something in return. Jesus revealed God's love in a new way by focusing his life, teachings and commitment to the unconditional love that God gives. Jesus grew up in the Jewish tradition and learned the Hebrew scriptures.

One of the most well-known Jewish prophets was Isaiah, who preached God's love to the Jews in Exile. One of the most famous writings by this prophet can be found in chapter 43 of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name and you are mine," and "because you are precious i my eyes and because I love you."

During his life, Jesus taught his followers and the people of his time through parables or stories and by his healing actions. Several of his powerful miracles brought sight to those who were blind. The unconditional love of Jesus is still alive today, healing to those who seek him out. Unconditional love is an exception of mercy - not being judged by humans but freely honored and given by God.