Loving Deeply

It is impossible to love deeply without sacrifice.

—Elisabeth Elliot

If you are a parent, especially the parent of a teenager or young adult, then you know what this means. But sacrificial love is not limited to parenting. It is necessary for a successful marriage and also for a healthy friendship. Too many of us withhold our love because we are not willing to pay the price of sacrifice. Loving deeply can reap huge dividends, but it always comes at a great cost. You have to think of the loved one above yourself. Ouch! Selfishness fits much more comfortably. But selfishness benefits no one.

Elisabeth Elliot’s writing has greatly influenced my life, even as a grown married woman. I truly wish someone had introduced me to her works when I was a teenager, but I am learning that it is never too late to incorporate the principles she teaches: namely, that passion is not sinful and purity is not prudish. Nor are they mutually exclusive. You can have both.