Sacrificial Love

The Kind That Feels Safe

We live in a world that is loud, crowded, and deeply lonely all at once.

So many relationships today feel shallow and transactional. People are often so self-absorbed that they don’t even realize how disconnected they’ve become.

Asking “How are you?” has turned into nothing more than a segue, an opening so someone can talk about themselves.

Listening is rare. Caring feels conditional. Celebration feels impossible because jealousy, comparison, and competition sit where love once lived.

People say they miss you, yet never call. They claim they care, yet never check in. They spend more time online curating images and opinions than investing in real, meaningful connection. And somewhere along the way, God stopped being the priority. Self-gratification replaced surrender. Ego replaced empathy.

And the truth is many of us are tired.

Tired of fake connections.

Tired of relationships we can’t trust.

Tired of loving deeply while receiving crumbs in return.

Tired of pouring into others while being empty.

I can let's say that I am no longer interested in being surrounded by people I can’t count on. I’m not looking for proximity; I’m looking for presence. I don’t want love with a price tag, a hidden agenda, or strings attached. I want sacrificial love.

The kind of love Jesus exemplified.

Sacrificial love is not loud, flashy, or self-seeking. It doesn’t keep score. It doesn’t need recognition. It doesn’t love based on convenience or benefit. Sacrificial love puts another’s needs ahead of its own not out of obligation, but out of genuine care. There is no ego in it. No competition. No fear.

This is the love described in Scripture when it says love is patient and kind, not envious or boastful, not proud or self-seeking. It’s the love that bears, believes, hopes, and endures. It’s the love that laid itself down on a cross not because it had to, but because it chose to.

That kind of love feels safe.

Safe because you don’t have to question motives.

Safe because you don’t have to shrink to be accepted.

Safe because you are seen, valued, and protected not used.

I am being intentional about my connections now. I want relationships that are genuine, rooted in truth, and aligned with God’s heart. I want people who pray for me, not compete with me. People who celebrate me, not secretly resent me. People who show up, not just speak about love.

Sacrificial love is rare but it still exists.

And when God is at the center, it changes everything. When love flows from Him, it is pure, steady, and unwavering.

That is the love I’m choosing. That is the love I’m praying for. That is the love I’m learning to both give and receive.

Prayer

Father God,

We come before You with hearts that are weary but hopeful. You see the emptiness caused by shallow connections and the pain left behind by conditional love. You know how deeply we long to feel safe, seen, and truly loved.

Lord, remove every desire in us that seeks validation from people instead of fulfillment from You. Heal the places where selfishness, pride, and fear have distorted our understanding of love. Teach us what sacrificial love truly looks like, the kind that mirrors Your Son, the kind that gives without expecting, the kind that protects, nurtures, and stays.

Surround us with relationships that are genuine and God-ordained. Help us discern who belongs in our lives and give us the courage to walk away from connections that drain, deceive, or dishonor You. Shape our hearts to love selflessly, without ego, without conditions, and without fear.

Above all, anchor us in Your love the only love that never fails.

We surrender our relationships to You.

We trust You to provide what we need.

And we thank You for being the ultimate example of sacrificial love.

In Jesus’ name we pray,
Amen