May 2

Today let's think about some of the hard parts of love.  Of course there is the aspect of doing what is best for a person you find annoying or who actually is an enemy.  That can be hard.  But today I'm thinking more of loving confrontation.  For me this is a challenging thing.

¹⁵ “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. ¹⁶ But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’^[b] 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.  (Matthew 18)

Yep.  There it is in black and white (or red in a red-letter edition).  Part of love is confronting a brother or sister when they have wronged me.  And if she won't repent, I can't stop there.  I have to follow through with more confrontation.

Now why is that so hard for me?  I think maybe because I don't love enough.  It should never be a joyful thing, and maybe it should always be a little hard, but if my focus is on her good  - on her eternal salvation - it  would be easier.  When my focus is on myself it is hard.

For some it is the opposite.   BECAUSE their focus is on themselves, they are ready to fight to protect whatever rights they see as being threatened.  For them another passage in the same chapter tempers their attitudes:

²¹ Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”

²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

Assignment for today:
Give an example of what some call "tough love" and how you should deal with it.  Apply the passages above.