True Love

This was abstracted from Our Daily Bread in November 2007.

A baby gift came to a young couple who were new parents. They were grateful for the present, so the mom picked up a thank-you card, wrote a nice note, and got it ready to send. Somehow it got buried in an avalanche of paperwork and was never mailed—and the thank-you was forgotten. The gift-givers waited, but no acknowledgment came.

A rift developed as one family thought the thank-you had been given, while the other thought the lack of a thank-you was a snub. This inadvertent failure to send a card left the gift-giver feeling slighted, unappreciated, and neglected.

Among the most important words we can speak are the two words, “Thank you.” And while it is vital to be grateful, there’s another side of thank you. If we bestow a gift on another, we should do so out of a motive that doesn’t expect anything, even a thank-you, in return. True love gives with no expectations.

Love, as described in 1 Corinthians 13:4, “suffers long and is kind” and is never self-seeking. Love keeps no record of wrongs—even if someone forgets to thank us for a kindness. The other side of thank you is a pure heart that reflects God’s perfect love for us. —Dave Branon


yes i agree that when true love given we should not expect to get anything back. God loved us so much that He gave His one and only son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins. But He never expected anything in return. God carried us through our trials but did not asked for anything in return and yet sometimes we even blamed God for forsaking us. But think about the things He has done for you in the past?

Think of His grace, mercies and blessings that He had shown to us. Do not focus on your present trial but think back of His goodness and you will feel renewed knowing that God is always there for you.