Even With

I was thinking about the love that God has shown us in so many, many ways, and I was comparing it to the love we have for each other. We often define that perfect agape love as one that's willing to die for another but I think there is another way to define it. It's also that we love someone even with all of their faults. There are things about the ones that we love that also annoy us and drive us crazy. Things that if we didn't love that person would cause us to walk away. Couples and congregations often split because they don't really love each other. But when we put up with each others faults we are in essence expressing our love for each other.

I believe the Bible states that love can be learned. There seems to be a progression where God expects us to first show our phileo love and then to nurture it and grow to where it becomes agape love.  

God loved us from the beginning, even with all of our faults. And if we love someone, we do so even with all their faults. The problems come when we start focusing on the faults more than the good stuff. Thankfully, as Christians, God does not focus on our faults, but loves us in spite of them.