Love is blind?

Another Facebook Note. Written one year and two days ago precisely =D


I have been away for a while now (but don't tuck me in just like a child now), but that's not why I'm writing this. I have a legitimate pull to write down this thing which the Lord has put on my heart and mind.

It's often said that love is blind, and I used to believe it. I think now though, that love is not blind but rather love "endures all things". Radical thought I know, but it seems to me that LIKE is blind. When we meet someone new, we get a first impression of them. No matter what their circumstances, what we perceive them as is VERY HARD TO CHANGE. That first impression sticks with us long past our ability to even remember where, when, why, how, etc. we first met. 

***The impression itself makes us biased in our view toward that person***

Quote me on that if you wish, I believe it to be true. If you get a good first impression, you tend to rationalize the things that don't meet the standard you expect from that person. ESPECIALLY if they barely miss the mark. Just as it is hard to like someone after they have seriously wronged you, hard to trust and befriend them, I believe it works the opposite way equally. If you really like someone, for whatever reason, it's hard to begin to dislike them.

That's only the first part of it though, I really want to focus on the GOOD part of this, not just the misdirected issue. So if love is not blind, what is it? I believe love is that vulnerability of trust where you open your arms and heart and soul and self to someone, EVEN IF YOU KNOW THEY HAVE WRONGED YOU. This does not just go for romantic love, but I believe it applies in marriage strongly.

This passage is one of those which is preached to death on and people begin to forget the importance of its message.

1 Corinthians 13 (New King James Version)

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 {*Love suffers long and is kind*}; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 {*bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.*}
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

the {* to *} parts are my added emphasis. Notice how it says that love SUFFERS and is still kind, that it BEARS ALL THINGS and ENDURES ALL THINGS. Love is unwavering. Before I get a heap of comments about abuse and such, I am NOT promoting ignorance of evil because of love. I AM saying that we do not hate, we do NOT hate, WE DO NOT- HATE- those who have wronged us. We love and forgive them and allow God to worry about justice and the like. I have heard BOTH love AND hate thrown around far too casually for my taste, and think we need to be very careful with our mouths (myself especially). We do not hate others, we endure suffering and love on. While we are imperfect, God, being love's best definition, is perfect. This is why God IS love, and why we must try to be more like Him.

Thanks for reading, love and God's blessing to all =D