Beloved God is in all. What is then the duty of the lover? It is to make the Beloved happy without sparing himself. Without giving a second thought to his own happiness, the lover should seek the pleasure of the Beloved. The only thought a lover of God should have is to make the Beloved happy.
Thus, if you stop thinking of your own happiness and give happiness to others, you will then indeed play the part of the lover of God because Beloved God is in all.
But, while giving happiness to others, if you have an iota of thought about yourself, it is then not love but affection. This tends to seek happiness for the self while making others happy. As for example: firstly, a husband’s affection for his wife. The husband wants to give happiness to his wife, but while doing so he thinks of his own happiness, too. Secondly, a mother’s affection for her child. From this affection, the mother derives happiness purely out of giving and seeking happiness for her child.
www.lordmeher.org, p4392
May, 1958; Myrtle Beach
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“Love means suffering and pain for oneself, and happiness for others. To the giver, it is suffering without malice or hatred. To the receiver, it is a blessing without obligation.”
(www.lordmeher.org, p3167)