2 Corinthians 6:12-You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. 

Everyday meets us with the challenge of managing our affections.  Whether that’s engaging our families, co-workers, classmates, or friends, our affections are either freely expressed or “muted” depending on who we are engaged with.
However, in a way of protecting ourselves, we can get in the habit of “restricting” our affections because we fear, don’t trust, or have been hardened by the burdens of life.  Yet the problem with always being “restricted” in our hearts is that nothing can be received, even from God…(Hosea 10:12)
The apostle Paul knew the importance of our affections and how they can restrict us from “opening up” to receive the love of Christ.  Paul in his appeal to the Corinthians as a servant on their behalf, knew that he needed his heart to be open to Christ that he could receive, so that he could minister in God’s love for their growth. 
Yet Paul’s effectiveness to bless the Corinthians was limited, not due to his affections, but they were restricted by their own affections.  That regardless of the pains he went through to prove his motives sincere before God, they still needed to “widen their hearts” to receive and benefit from his service to them…(2 Corinthians 6:1-13)

Surely all of us at some point, have poured out our affections to someone who was “too restricted” to receive.  Which can cause us to recoil and restrict our own affections (hard heart).  Yet in true worship, God desires us to have our hearts “wide open” to Him, that He is not like people who may disregard our affections.  God pleads for us to cry out in openness, because we need to receive love from Him, that we can unconditionally give love to others. (Joel 1:14, Hebrews 3:13)
Strive in the fight of restricting your affections by first “opening up” to Christ, who receives and gives healing for our hearts to stay open, for the sake of others who need to see the love of God through us.-In His Love, Ld