Daily Musings: Conquering Roadblocks to Unconditional Love

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;”—2 Corinthians 2: 3-4 (KJV)

In the Beginning: Love

“And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us.”—I John 4: 16-19 (KJV)

To me, this is the ultimate scripture passage on Godlike, unconditional love, or agape. I appreciate the main points:

God is love.
God’s spirit only dwells in people who are guided by love.
Love allows for no fear.
God has loved us from the beginning of time.

I can’t imagine a more perfect world than the one described by Jesus’ disciple--one where love is the very essence of living.

The Disconnect

So what happened? How did I stray from agape?

Why can’t I, or anyone else, always treat everyone with compassion, even empathy? Why don’t we all smile sweetly and empower each other constantly?

Reality sets in. It took me decades to learn how complicated my world is. Here is the comprehensive list of what I’ve endured.

It’s no wonder I’m not always able to pass on happiness wherever I go. Obviously, I’m not alone, either. We all have trials to some degree. These troubles can…

Break, Block, Crush

Pound us into Dust

Before we know it, we’ve moved far away from perfect love--into the realm of fear. Frankly, I can’t recall a time when I lived in untainted agape. It was an unknown concept. The reason for this goes deep.

The Deep Fight

The scripture passage above, 2 Corinthians 2: 3-4, states we’re fighting “strongholds”. Synonyms for this word are garrison, fort, fortress, and citadel. Those are all military terms. They signify protection against any outside attack.

That explains why I feel exhausted. I’m not involved in brief street fights. I’m not even doing martial arts exhibitions with Jackie Chan. I am battling fortresses stronger than anything we know on Earth. You are, too.

An excellent article on maddmedic illustrates how these strongholds can be passed down through multiple generations. They can also manifest in various ways, such as aggression, sickness, and addictions.

The Solution

Look beyond current negative circumstances.
Find as much to be grateful for as possible. Remember the small miracles you’ve seen in the past. (We all have some.)
Read, speak, play, write, or listen to empowering music and words.

My Conclusion

We aren’t always loved and accepted by people. As imperfect beings, you and I can’t always grasp agape. Our only option is to find solutions for keeping joy in our lives. To do that, we must knock down the fortresses of the enemy with a superhuman faith and strength.