There’s a temptation we rarely talk about.

Not the dramatic kind.
The subtle kind.

Using another person as a prop — to feel wanted, envied, admired, or significant.

Jesus calls this out long before social media ever existed:

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”
Philippians 2:3

When you need someone to make you look good, you stop seeing them.
They become a tool, not a treasure.

And tools eventually break under the weight of our expectations.

Love does the opposite.
It refuses to turn a person into a performance.
It doesn’t need a photo, a label, or an audience to feel complete.

Love says, “I’m here for your good — not my image.”

It’s simple, but it’s costly:
Love protects the other person’s soul, even when your ego is begging for attention.

Love frees us from the smallness of needing others to make us feel big.