Loving Blindly

We are taught throughout our life that love has to be blind. I say if you follow that rule you are setting yourself up for failure!
True love isn't blind! True love sees the faults of another and loves them in spite of those faults. If you think about it, isn't that how Jesus loves us?
Jesus doesn't blindly love us. He sees all our good and bad faults and still chooses to love us. He knew our faults when he died on the cross.
So why are we loving blindly? To me, you are a fool if you choose to ignore bad faults! Those faults will eventually be seen and then you will have to deal with them. Choosing to see them first and loving them anyway makes more sense doesn't it? Then you aren't "surprised" down the road.
Be careful though! Don't love somebody too closely who's faults are more than you can deal with! You can love them from a distance if need be. But don't not see their faults!
Jesus never loved blind! He saw Lazarus as he was and still ate with him. He knew David was an adulterer and murderer and still picked him as a chosen one. As you read through your Bible God shows his loving mercy over and over again and all in spite of our ugly faults.
Next time you are loking to love, don't turn a blind eye to that person. See their faults and then decide if you are going to love them from near or a far! Remeber Jesus died for you in spite of your faults!

Painful Love

I wonder if Paul found that the people he loved the most were the hardest to love? If the ones who he grieved over tended to be the ones who cut him the deepest? Whereas God will never harm us, it seems the people we love the most are the ones who burden us the most. At times they are the ones who cost us the most.
God tells us he will never give us more than we can handle, but it feels like, at times, I can't take anymore. Where faith in him is required at all times; it is when I can no longer give anymore of myself when God has to take over. When there is nothing of me left is when God has to fill me up.
Jesus grieved for the lost. His heart was with the lost. It was also the lost that caused him great suffering, but it was those that were closest to him that hurt him deeply. Judas betrayed him, Peter denied him, and daily, saved people sin ever though he died to save us.
I wonder if, like me, Paul shed more heartfelt tears over those closest to him? How are we to continually love those who throw our love back when we are but mere humans? Thank goodness God is there to build up our weaknesses so we can continue to love whole heartedly those we have a burden for!

2 Corinthians 2:4