Freely sharing God’s love

“What I lack in social skills I make up for in hiding-from-people skills.” I recently read this anonymous quote online and smiled at the humorous twist on something that, at a certain period in my life, didn’t feel funny at all.

Early on in college, after an unhealthy relationship fell apart, I stopped connecting with anyone socially. I even stopped going to classes, and soon ended up leaving school.

It felt like I didn’t know how to relate to people. What was wrong with me? I really longed to share love more freely.

Lots of folks struggle with feeling awkward in social situations or think they’re no good at relationships. For some it’s debilitating, associated with extreme social anxiety. And reports say social isolation during COVID has continued to negatively impact social skills for many in the world, especially youth.

But is there something we can better understand about what fundamentally defines and relates us that brings healing solutions?

The Bible shares that our true being and all existence flows inexhaustibly from one divine source: the infinite Life and Love that is God. The book of Psalms says, “How precious is your unfailing love, O God!... you are the fountain of life” (36:7, 9, New Living Translation). This inspired passage, along with many others in the Bible, sheds light on the fact that who we really are is derived from God’s infinitely loving nature.

The teachings of Christian Science explain this biblical truth, and reveal that we can actually prove that whatever isn’t loving isn’t truly us. Things like fear, awkwardness, or anything negative have no real basis to hold back what the all-powerful love of God is causing us to be. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (II Timothy 1:7, NLT).

What can feel like an out-of-control sense of ourselves as overwhelmed by anxieties or insecurities is healed by God’s true view of us. God constantly knows us as fully and freely loving – entirely spiritual, filled with lovely qualities to share and value in everyone as fellow expressions of divine Love.

So it’s normal and natural for us to fully and freely experience this. This is living what Jesus said about loving God and loving our neighbors as ourselves. And even if it feels tough to do, there’s always a way forward.

After dropping out of college, there were times when I felt pretty isolated. Thankfully, though, I was beginning to learn from studying Christian Science how to pray in those moments, to listen for the “still, small voice” of God’s loving encouragement speaking in ways I could understand. Essentially, divine Love kept assuring me, “I’m giving you everything needed to be My complete expression.”

This comforting truth also came with practical opportunities to prove it. For example, one day while I was praying, it occurred to me to apply for a job in a nearby flower shop. I had no previous experience, so it wasn’t an obvious fit, but it felt like an idea that was coming from beyond me – from God. So I applied – and got the job!

And you know what? I loved having conversations with customers when they shared why they were sending flowers. Before, in certain social settings, I’d felt awkward and unsure of myself. But now it was so liberating to realize that what was behind our loving interactions wasn’t just human love, and it didn’t stem from them or me personally. It was the limitless love flowing from God.

This spiritual and social growth continued when I returned to school the next semester. I felt freer to meet new people and participate in group activities, such as going camping with my whole dorm. As I prayed to be more Love-led day to day, life became filled with more joy and opportunities to feel and share love.

Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, wrote in her text “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” “Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love. It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to share it” (p. 57). Our joy, our ability to relate, our capacity to love, our whole loving nature and being, come from God. And God’s love is meant to be shared.

We can’t ever lack the loving nature that enables us to relate well with others. It’s a constant gift we receive – and can reflect outward – from the unlimited divine Love expressing itself in all of us, together.