Why is it important to love?  It is important because we have unconditional love from God.  No matter what we do, God will forgive us and love us unconditionally.  I believe an important part of allowing yourself to love is being able to love unconditionally.  If you have felt the feeling of having unconditional love, you know that brings with it a sense of security.  A feeling that no matter what you do you will still have that love.   

1.  Trust is essential for unconditional love.

A willingness to trust in a relationship is not easy.  It takes courage and a willingness to step out of your comfort zone.   Putting your trust in someone is very uncomfortable for some people.  If you trust God and follow your intended path you will find it much easier to trust others. 

2.  A willingness to accept and return unconditional love.

Accepting love is another challenge.  You may be open to trust but have not yet accepted love.  You have to open your heart to accept love.  This can be both scary and overwhelming. 

Unconditional love is tricky and returning the unconditional love is critical.  When both partners love unconditionally, your partnership is in a strong position to succeed.  If only one partner is loving unconditionally, an unhealthy relationship is likely. 

3.  A willingness to forgive is a must with unconditional love.

We are not perfect, we make mistakes.  Some mistakes are much worse than others.  In general, if you don’t learn to forgive, it puts a great deal of stress on you.   The crazy part about forgiveness is that often the only one you are hurting by not forgiving is yourself.  Many times the other person is already over the issue or it is meaningless to them.  But for the one unable to forgive life becomes very stressful. 

Forgiveness in no way means staying in an unhealthy relationship.  Nor does unconditional love mean you have to stay in an unhealthy relationship.  It does mean that there is a love for that individual despite the fact that you can’t live with that person.  To forgive that person means you will be able to move on with your life.  The person who gains the most from your forgiveness is you. 

As a parent, I remind my children often that my love is unconditional. No matter what happens, no matter what was said or done, I will always love them.  I also remind them that I might not agree or like what was said or done, but I will always love them.  That does not mean I don’t give consequences, and that does not mean I will bail my children out of trouble, but it does mean that my love will be there always. 

Regarding a partner, unconditional love is priceless and for me a necessity.  I make a lot of mistakes.  My marriage would never have worked if I were worried about my husband’s love.  It was the constant in our partnership, even when we were angry I never doubted his love for me. 

Love is the cornerstone of a relationship with God.  The more you trust, accept, and forgive others the easier it will be to love unconditionally. 

Stay connected here and receive my article, Why I Live My Life Like Everything Is a Miracle.