Image by Manuel Gugenhuber (CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported)
Many of us feel that we failed at love. We were passed over at the dance. We picked the wrong partners — those who did not or could not love us, those who loved us once but no longer care. Those who raised our hopes, then shattered our dreams. Those who simply walked away.
There are countless reasons for this. It may be that childhood abuse colored our choices. It may be that those choices were limited by our circumstances. It may be that a partner changed over the years…or that we changed. It may be that a partner was equally wounded from the start.
Rejection is heartbreaking. The end of love is heartbreaking. We think the years we invested were wasted, that our lives were wasted. That our love was poured out on sand.
But heartbreak and failure are not one and the same. Nearly everyone alive has experienced heartbreak, at one time or another. Sad love songs are more popular than upbeat ones.
God, Himself, is love (1 John 4: 16). He created us to know, love, and serve Him. We do that by obeying His laws (1 John 5: 2), and serving others (Eph. 2: 10).
None of us live up to God’s standards — not as we should, not on a constant basis. We stray. We make mistakes, despite our good intentions. But if we pour out our love, as best we can — whether on spouses, lovers, siblings, friends, children, or strangers — we have fulfilled the central purpose for which we were created (Luke 7: 47).
That is not failure. Whatever the outcome, that is not failure.
FOR MORE OF MY ARTICLES ON POVERTY, POLITICS, AND MATTERS OF CONSCIENCE CHECK OUT MY BLOG A LAWYER’S PRAYERS AT: https://alawyersprayers.com
ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse 
Es ist kein Versagen der betroffenen Opfer, sie können nicht anders handeln. Sie sind aber in einer göttlichen Wärme aufgefangen, und das ist ein Trost. LG M.
Du bist immer so nett, Marie. LG, A. ❤
So true. If we have loved well then we have fulfilled the purpose for our lives.
Anna, Your last post and this one came on the heels of my reading of theologian Michael Reeves, and I thought how well yours works as life application to his spiritual insights:
“We don’t often talk about courage anymore as Christians. It strikes us as something you only need in wartime. However, C. S. Lewis wrote, ‘Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point.’ In other words, courage is love at the testing point, when it becomes hard to love. Courage is patience at the testing point, when we are fed up. Courage is peace at the testing point, when we are angry or disdainful. It is resilience in Christ-like faithfulness.” He goes on to elaborate on Psalm 27. (sorry about the lengthy “reply”!)
What encouraging sentiments! Thank you for sharing this, Dora. By the way, you don’t ever need to apologize for the length of your reply.
🙏💛
This is so good! Love never fails xxxx
I am so glad you liked it. ❤
Beautifully expressed, dear Anna.
Thank you so much, Dolly. ❤
You are very welcome, dear friend.