Without boundaries

The way the Bible tells me to love is hard! 

I'm told to put others' needs before my own, to be patient, kind, to never give up or lose faith, to always hope, to love through every circumstance....no matter what.  I'm not to be jealous or proud or rude or to demand my own way.  Perhaps the most difficult of all, I'm not to keep a record of what others do to me or to the ones I love.
(from 1 Corinthians 13). 

It's hard enough to read that passage with those closest to me in mind. But then I read these words:

"You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that.  I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best - the sun to warm and the rain to nourish - to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that."
Matthew 5:44-47 (from The Message)


So I'm even supposed to love those who hurt me and are mean to me like that?: not keeping a list of what they've done, not exposing how mean they've been to me (even on Facebook!), never losing hope and faith for them, not secretly being happy when bad things happen to them?  That's a whole different challenge. 

When someone is blatantly mean or unfair to me or to someone I love, I'd rather get on the phone and talk about them than pray for them.  I at least want to tell about it on FB and not mention their name...just their sin. I want others to know that I was wronged and that they are BAD!

My friend Jen just described someone to me and said, "His love just has no boundaries".  As she said that I thought, "What boundaries does my love have?"  What line can someone cross that puts them out of range for my grace and unconditional love?  I have to be honest, love has boundaries in my heart.

Jesus' love certainly had NO boundaries.  Thank goodness because that means He loves me...and you....and the one who has hurt us and done us wrong. 

So I'm asking Him to give me grace to remove the boundaries of my love so that I can love like He does! 

"We love because he first loved us."  1 John 4:19