Receiving love from others is important and a vital part of life, so why is the average person better at giving love then they are at receiving love? The mind is rewarded every time we give, and giving from the heart provides great joy. Even Jesus confirmed that ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
Receiving love is an art that requires practice, intimacy, and allowance. I believe that practice starts within the family. Christmas was a great opportunity for families and friends to practice giving and receiving love. The holidays are usually a time where most people let their guards down by giving gifts and sharing love. However, with Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, it can be easy to get caught up in showing love to others and totally forget to allow ourselves to be loved.
Although we teach our children to be givers, and giving comes naturally to most of us, that should not stop us from learning and teaching how to become good at receiving. Being a good receiver opens the door for the giver to be blessed and rewarded for the act of giving, and one of the benefits of receiving more love is that you can actually give more love. It is important for us to learn how to accept love and for us to train our children to do the same from a young age.
Some tips to remember and share with your family:
Allow yourself to receive compliments. It’s ok to be appreciative and say “thank you” to the people who compliment you. It might feel a little uncomfortable and foreign to accept accolades at first, but over time, it will get easier and feel less awkward.
Remember that Gratitude is important. Allow yourself to acknowledge that you received a compliment and be grateful for it. This also cultivates humility.
Be conscious of your feelings when you receive affection. Awareness is a big step in the process of receiving love.
Pay attention when you receive love. You will start to notice the ways you receive love the best. Because we all have a primary way we prefer to receive love, understanding your own individual way of receiving love is important.
Open up and be willing to talk with your loved ones about how receiving love makes you feel. It’s ok to let people know how receiving love may be hard for you. Honesty goes a long way; being vulnerable can be difficult, but the rewards are priceless.
Recognize that you are valuable and worthy, and it is a good thing to receive love from others. Have some patience with yourself as you start to acknowledge your own self-worth. It may take time to see that you deserve to receive love just like anybody else. There are so many ways to develop self-love. A great way to start is by just accepting that you are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God. You are uniquely made and one of a kind. There is no one and nothing anywhere like you, and that makes you rare and valuable.