What "Perfect" Love is and "really, truly" means...?

[Neogaia777]

I would like, if I could, "open up the floor", and ask you people, what you think "perfect" Love is/means, how it expresses and shows itself in you and your behavior with others and God when you are fully (really) "doing" it...

Really think hard about this one: Love just isn't all what we atypically think, or what the world thinks it is... Sometimes Love can mean hitting someone right between the eyes that they may not want to hear...

Did you know Jesus dearly, and I mean dearly, truly "Loved" the Jews, the Pharisees, yet examine how he spoke to them...

I have a friend, who has betrayed my trust several times, and I even had someone else put her secretly on speakerphone in a conversation that she wasn't aware that I was privy to, and she was saying all kinds of bad, negative things about me, and running me down to this other person, and I got to hear it (but she didn't know and still doesn't know about it) yet she's always very nice and kind and even says she loves me, all the time (to my face) (and by her reputation she does this to everybody) and I don't like that about her and would like to have an honest civil conversation about it, but...

And she's noticed that I've been kind of standoffish and short with her in conversations, because I have tried to tell her several times "There's something we need to talk about..." and she answers "Is it negative?" and I said "Well, it's not negative per-say but it's the truth" and then she replies "Well, if it's negative, I can't hear it right now" and she's done this to me several times, when I say, "there's something we need to talk about."

And even during those rare times when she allows me to start, she cuts me off, before I can even finish, and says "OK, I can't deal with this right now, I just can't hear this right now" and she cuts me off, hangs up on me, or in conversation with her, just won't allow me to speak, and I'm not being negative or mean, I'm just trying to get her to realize some truths about herself, and I can honestly say I'm doing it out of love, for the sake of her personal growth and for her own good, for I do love her (like a sister) but I'm beginning to break off contact with her, not answer her phone calls, or meet up to speak with her because she always want's to be the one to talk and I always listen, but when I have something to say, she won't allow me to speak, so I'm beginning to cut all ties with her...

I would like to continue to Love her as Jesus would, but I'm not even allowed to speak my mind, and she's beginning to wear on me (wear me down)

But back to my original question, and this takes a lot more deep thought than you might originally assume, so really think hard, and dig deep about it...


I would like, if I could, "open up the floor", and ask you people, what you think "perfect" Love is/means, how it expresses and shows itself in you and your behavior with others and God when you are fully (really) truly "doing" it...

Really think hard about this one: Love just isn't all what we atypically think, or what the world thinks it is... Sometimes Love can mean hitting someone right between the eyes that they may not want to hear...

Did you know Jesus dearly, and I mean dearly, truly "Loved" the Jews, the Pharisees, yet examine how he spoke to them...

Thoughts? Comments?

God Bless!

 

[Neogaia777]

Jesus had to practice "tough Love" with the Jews, the Pharisees, because they were hard-headed, and hard-hearted, in order, in the hopes of that some of would completely turn around and follow him and follow Love... (and some, (many) did due to how Jesus was and what he said to them) and became Christians...

But how do "we" know when tough love is necessary, when and whom we should use it with and in what situations, and what is "Tough Love" anyways, I can tell you what it is not, it is not angry or callous or too brutal, but tough Love is not usually the kindest kind of Love either...

Little Help?

God Bless!

 

[FanthatSpark]

Blessings Neo,

Worded a little differently to speak to her, it seems the answer is in sending OP to her in an E-mail after some distance in time so her interest is peaked to read the mail in lack of contact with you may be a suggestion. Reason for lack of contact being, meditation in meekness in showing her that something similar in you/or another brought pain in the long run in two facedness (Term made up but ya get it ). Add that to the beginning of mail or not . I get it Neo, it is a slippery slope in righteousness and the knee jerk reaction is "oh yeah look at what you do". From OP you did not go to knee jerk reaction in love of person but hate of sin in bashing you. That takes a lot of placing self secondary to another in my book . However, not to rub moral high ground in a fellow follower becomes more difficult if it eats at you, especially if it continues in further bashing thus distancing, yet, it still eats at pride in us all. It seems you have captured this pride of self and seek an answer in delivery. So... lets say its you that is bashing in the background of a friend, how would you like to hear it? From the friend themselves or a friend of you both? Or mayhap an on line sermon on two faced actions and consequences suggested by an advocate of your choice including you or not.<---Delivery suggestions only Neo. Only you know the intricacies of "her" and not hearing negativity is only one that can be put in this format. For us out here assumptions are all that we got to work with . With that said, and this is an assumption and advocate of the person that can not defend their selves in this thread...

Look for truth in the bashing for "cause" (one that I got caught up in is Holier than thou persona) and improve self too, if any, for the cause of her retaliation.

In writing that, another delivery suggestion , ask her for forgiveness in being... and start bashing self just like she did weather there's truth to it or not and it may click to her on just how did he know?

 

[RBPerry]

I question as human nature goes if any of us are capable of "perfect love", why because of our sin nature and the negative influences we encounter. Remember Paul said our fight is not against flesh and blood, but it is spiritual.

I would love it if every action, though, and desire was motivated by love, but it isn't. I believe anyone that is honest with themselves, will also admit they fall short in this area.

In regards to the person that is a gossip; I would tell her that I can not continue to communicate with her until she is ready to deal with the issues you are concerned about. You need to be honest with her and let her know you heard her conversation and were hurt by her criticism and gossip. You nee to forgive her even if she doesn't apologize or ask for forgiveness. Remember the issue for you isn't what she does, it is how you handle it.

 

[Neogaia777]

I question as human nature goes if any of us are capable of "perfect love", why because of our sin nature and the negative influences we encounter. Remember Paul said our fight is not against flesh and blood, but it is spiritual.

I would love it if every action, though, and desire was motivated by love, but it isn't. I believe anyone that is honest with themselves, will also admit they fall short in this area.

Do you believe being "perfected" means the same thing for all, across the board, that we all become the same, or is one person's being perfected going to differ (different) from another one's being perfected?

 

[RBPerry]

Do you believe being "perfected" means the same thing for all, across the board, that we all become the same, or is one person's being perfected going to differ (different) from another one's being perfected?

That is a very good question, and one I don't really have a good answer for. Since we all have different personalities and issues in our lives being perfected could well be different for each individual. On the other hand Christ is our example of perfection, so shouldn't we strive to seek a Christ consciousness and strive to become more like him?

 

[RDKirk]

I'm not sure Jesus loved the lawyers. When the Lord of All Creation gives a command, His words do not fall to the earth void. When Jesus said, "Woe be unto you!" He wasn't just whistling Dixie. The universal forces of woe said "We've been called" and got into line.

With regard to loving Jesus as our Lord, Jesus Himself defined that love as obedience: "If you love me, obey my commands."

But with regard to love of one another, I like a line from a guy who wasn't even Christian:

"Love is when someone else's happiness and wellbeing are necessary for your own." -- Robert A Heinlein.