2 Corinthians 6:12 Common English Bible (CEB) There are no limits to the affection that we feel for you. You are the ones who placed boundaries on your affection for us.

The CEB provided the clearest rendering of this verse for me. It allowed me to see with better depth those things Paul was speaking about in 2 Cor. 6, of which there is much to take in.

“In patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; by pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned.” That’s a lot to suffer and come out the other side unscarred.

Taking us back to loving God with all and then loving our neighbors as ourselves, it became clear why there was the distinction between loving God and loving mankind.

The limits we set in loving each other is tied directly to how we feel about ourselves. It is said you cannot truly forgive others if we cannot forgive ourselves. It seems to be true in my life at least. Does that ring true for you?

I look at all these afflictions Paul is speaking about and the good that is mixed in as righteous responses. The two go hand in hand and if grace outweighs the pain, then I believe the answer lies in how His abiding love has changed how we see ourselves.

Being tested myself by life stressors exposed me to my raw nature, the man I am without Christ. No matter how much I try to be obedient in faith, the capacity to fail remains as a constant danger. It is not a reflection on inclination, just another moment of crucifixion of selfishness, and it is painful. We should not allow those moments to discourage us for they draw us closer to Christ who endured it all for us.