Unconditional Love

[RhysMom]

I started thinking about unconditional love and it made me wonder how many different opinions about unconditional love are out there. I am just wondering what you all consider to be unconditional love?

Hmm well I believe unconditional love can only be given by God because human life is FULL of conditions whether we want it to be or not..I had a friend who showed me the closest to unconditional love..She never turned me away but there were a few exceptions...So I think of exceptions as conditions...Once, she had just lost her step dad and was too upset to have company and once, her husband was on rampage and she couldn't let me in for fear he'd come back and start up again..It didn't really mean she didn't love me, just that possibly she couldn't show me all the love that she wanted to at that time...Just like we have a bad day and aren't very good company or we're sick and can't make that important occasion for someone we truly love...To the other person, that might be seen as not showing the love we have...If that makes any sense...Anyway I believe that "unconditional" only applies to heaven...We can strive for it but I don't believe we'll ever reach it..

[imported_rachel]

There's a verse in Ezra that says Gods mercies endureth forever for Israel.
Even though Israel has fallen away and come back more times than I can count. And is now fallen away again.
He still promises to draw a remnant of them out in the end, and restore Israel.

Having to watch your chosen people rebel and worship idols so often has to be wearing. There have been many more evil generations than godly.

I doubt any one of us humans could have unending mercy like that. I mean, if people were to constantly betray us, we'd probably avoid people. The closet thing that comes to that is parents toughing it out when their kids are rebelling. Which is awesome... He must have put some of it in parents just for that.

I still think we should strive to love that way... maybe it's easier when we remind ourselves how God has forgiven and loved us.

[luvmy4sons]

I think that the closet thing that we come to unconditional love is our love for our children. We might get angry at them. We might be upset with them, but, at least for me, no matter what, I will always love them. I would die to preserve their life. They may sin and I might have to tell them I disagree with their life style or their choices, but I would never spurn them or disown them. I love them because they are mine. Unconditionally. No matter what they do. [lovingsmiley]

I think God loves his elect because they are His. We will show imperfect unconditional love and He shows us unconditional love perfectly in Christ Jesus! [crossinpurple]

My husband I would say is the one person that does a good job of showing unconditional love. He loves me even when I am ugly. He will laugh and smile at me when I am being unloveable and say, " I love you sweetie." In that kind of "you try me but I still love you" kind of voice. I KNOW he loves me...and always will. And I love him the same way, though I tend to be less tolerable and kind in the day to day irritations as he is. But deep down because of different life events we have been through...he knows I love him no matter what and will always be here.

So, yes, we are created in His image and I think we can love unconditionally. It is a matter of choice, not feeling. We won't be perfect at it. But we are told that we "can be partakers of the divine nature" . Good question for discussion. Thanks! :lol: I need to go call hubby and tell him I love him. :lol: