Blinded, Part VI

Jesus says that there is no greater love than for a man to lay down his life for his friends. Indeed, there is no greater love than this. Love is easy to recognize because it usually costs us something. Sacrifice is a true expression of love. Jesus being the perfect picture of love in that He sacrificed His life for ours shows us what true love is.

Selfishness on the other hand blacks out the heart. We become so consumed by our desires, goals, and happiness that we overlook the needs of others. We become blind to love. We become incapable of love. God does not want us to be that way but as Paul describes He wants us to be prepared for every good work. Preparation is in the sanctification of the Christian. Setting aside our own personal goals, ambitions, desires, pride, and happiness to seek out the needs of others. This is how we become ready and prepared to produce fruit for God. Sacrifice, patience, kindness, humility, weakness, and mercy are all components of God's true love.

The ironic thing is that as we spend our energy and lives on others we feel like we leave all hope of ever having any true happiness or joy in our own lives but in actuality we learn over time that this is the only way to attain happiness and true joy. You will never be happy until you decide to stop spending so much time making your life what you want it to be and instead (in humility) start to live life for other people. We are not just simply individuals but a body and a community.

^{Isaiah 42:16}

¹⁶ I will lead the blind by ways they have not known,
along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light before them
and make the rough places smooth.
These are the things I will do;
I will not forsake them.