My life has been riddled with people who said that they loved me. There are very few which I believe truly love me.

As I look at the characteristics of the love that God has for me, one thing stands out. He does not try to control me. He desires me but he does not guilt me if I wander away.

My mother has guilted me all my life with her form of love. If she can not control me, then she uses the guilt to try to manipulate me.

This same deceptive spirit is present in other people in my life. I have requested one person, as of late, to stop calling me. I even prefaced the request with a polite, “Please.” His response was to send me a text message telling me I was hateful.

The fact that he can no longer control my every spare minute frustrates him. That is NOT love. That is control.

When someone is trying to walk away from you, that you think you love, it is imperative that you let them walk away. I did this when my sons chose to go live with their Dad. It almost killed me but I knew if I truly loved them I had to love them with an open embrace.

If someone says that they love you try telling them, “No”. If they truly love you they will back off. If they don’t, they never loved you to begin with.