Get the prize. Every time.
What do you do when you’re not feeling rewarded for your investments in a relationship?
We all love to feel the rewards and benefits when we put effort into another person’s heart and life. There is a way to set yourself up to get the prize!
Don’t see your sacrifices as an investment.
Investments come with an expectation and hope of a great return. If you’re looking for a particular return for sacrifices, you may get frustrated fast. Demonstrating love in your relationships isn’t necessarily an investment, but rather a gift. Generously offering mercy and kindness without strings attached is the best way to discover the prize.
There’s always a prize when you love. Every conversation and every encounter has (what we like to call) a gold seed. There is a rich nugget of wisdom, an alignment of your beliefs that you can plant into your future that will yield a multiplication of dreams come true.
Expecting a particular outcome sets you up for disappointment, However, if you love for the sake of love and smile amid a challenge, you will find something amazing....unexpected….valuable….and you get to plant that into your future.
2. Align your beliefs with receiving the reward.
The beliefs of our hearts establish the story of our life. We presume that our circumstances tell our story, but our ability to respond (respond-ability) and our willingness to develop our heart amidst any situation create our reality.
People tend to make broad statements, positive and negative, of events or feelings that happen over and over again. Without even noticing our passing comments reveal “The story of our life”. It usually starts with something like “It never fails...every time...etc”. I’m especially intrigued when someone reveals a very positive declaration without even noticing”.
What would happen if you decided to adopt a fascinating heart belief like “I walk away with the prize every time.” I want to notice empowering beliefs, adopt them as my own, and enjoy the feeling that it brings to establish my heart in God’s astounding goodness. Maybe you’re living in a relationship when you’re not receiving the benefits? All-day you think...I’m doing my part, but they’re not loving me in my love language. Your disempowering heart beliefs will keep getting you more of what you are already getting.
3. Permit yourself to have personal desires.
In order to walk away with the reward, articulate your desires. Desire is LIFE, and without desire, we are like the walking dead. Desire is the engine that motivates us, and passion, which results in action, is its fuel. For example, a marriage that thrives is full of desire and passion!
4. Believing is seeing.
Where’s the progress and when will this feel easy, natural, and enjoyable?
You may be praying for some specific answers for your life and family. As you surrender these to the Lord, choose the feeling as if they are already answered. When you believe without seeing, and begin to feel before the answers are real on earth, you agree with heaven!