The difference between enabling selfishness and loving

It’s why we do what we do that determines if it’s love or selfishness. Love does what is truly best for others without regard for itself, but love can’t control what others do. If we love someone and they refuse to love, then love may require we step back to ensure we don’t enable the destruction of the selfish person. Or we can protect ourself without regard for them, and make sure they know if they hurt us again what it will cost them....but that just ensures we become what we are fighting. Love says I’m sorry, but if you won’t get in the “The Right Fight”.....the fight to change....then I can’t participate anymore. Love doesn’t require perfection, but it does require transparency and a sincere effort. Love won’t tolerate abuse, but it will pray for the abusive person to change. If love forces us to walk away, our greatest desire will be the selfish person changes for their own sake. If they do change we will be grateful. If we leave out of fear and selfishness, we will pray the selfish person has to pay for their sin while we are forgiven of ours. If they change, we will be envious. Luke 15:28-30 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!”