Love that is overwhelming

Why do we hold back our love for one another?

I talked with two friends, individually, and they expressed that love should not be held back. We hold back our love for someone or something because it stems from our "fear of" or scars and hurtings from the past. Fear of rejection, fear of your love not being reciprocated, fear of your feelings being discredited, fear of... And although these fears are very real and should not be invalidated, one thing we must understand is that love is not about you, it’s about the receiver:

1 John 4:18-19

18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us.

Forewarning: (if you haven’t already caught on) the worst investment anyone can make is to love - it's a high-risk, low-return investment, and sometimes there aren't any returns. Another reason why love is such a terrible investment is that love shouldn't be about you, but it must be about the receiver. It may be hard to understand this concept, especially in such a transactional and conditional society, but learning to love fully means expecting nothing in return.

What does it mean to love someone/something?

Perhaps, what it means to love someone or something is not about emotions, but the commitment and effort to act upon why we first fell in love. If we love with the belief that love runs solely on emotions, then we are bound to run out of fuel. However, if we love with intentionality and commitment, then it becomes a life-long craftsmanship and artwork that needs to be worked on (recommend reading 'Art of Loving' by Eric Fromm - a German social psychologist).

Why do we have to limit ourselves from loving 110%?

In short, we don't need to limit ourselves from loving, although the distinction should be made between limitless love and reckless love. Limitless love is to love intentionally and wisely without holding back. Whereas, reckless love is emotional dumping without boundaries. Reckless love becomes about YOU wanting to dump YOUR emotions so that you feel as though you've successfully loved, so that you feel less of a burden, so that you can feel good about yourself, so that you feel loved by others... To love limitlessly could also mean to love responsibly, and while loving 110% we must consider the needs, wants, and language which the receiver demands