“For out of much affliction and anguish of heart, I wrote to you with many tears; not so that you would be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you.” (2 Corinthians 2:4)
Real love is painful at times. Paul genuinely cared about the Corinthian church and that love compelled him to write 1st Corinthians, a stinging letter of rebuke for their sins and division. Paul didn’t enjoy penning that letter, and it caused him much sorrow to send it… but love required it. If we are unwilling to tell people the hard things, then our love for them is less than our love of being comfortable.
Love hurts, rocks the boat, and believes that the person is worth the pain to try and redeem. We cannot imitate Christ without embracing the pain that comes with opening ourselves up to love broken and faltering souls. Jesus did it. Paul did it. We must love with anguish, too.
Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites