None of Us is Entitled to Love

Even though some of us act like we are

Photo by 30daysreplay Social Media Marketing on Unsplash

I remember something a pastor once said in a sermon on marriage. To paraphrase:

“The husband must give 100% to his partner and expect 0%. The wife must give 100% and expect 0%. Only when they both do this will the marriage work.”

I am not sure this is true, but the reality is that the perception of love from the giver and the receiver may be quite different.

The husband (or wife) might feel they are a real hero if they wash the dinner dishes, but the wife (or husband) might think this is the bare minimum.

Putting in more work than we feel is necessary helps to build a stronger foundation for the relationship.

One problem that people run into — they feel they are entitled to love just for being their own wonderful selves. But is anyone actually entitled to love? Or to anything else, for that matter?

Now, I guess we could say that small children are entitled to love — if you bring a child into the world, you are responsible for its care, and part of that care is providing love.

But this is due to the helpless needs of the child, not to anything it actually does.