Loving Others When You Don’t Feel Like It

Love Does is the title of a popular book. What a great pairing of words! Those two little words, when put together, carry a ton of meaning.

Love does things. Love lends a helping hand. Love forgives. Love sacrifices. Love honors a commitment. Love is active, intentional, deliberate. Love does.

1 Corinthians 16:4: “Let all that you do be done in love.”

Bob Russell, retired pastor of a large church in Kentucky, comments that the true nature of love is often misunderstood. “We are programmed to think of love as an involuntary feeling of infatuation. Over the years, popular songs described love as an uncontrollable, spontaneous emotion that sweeps us off our feet in ecstasy. Songs such as Elvis’ ‘I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You,’ The Righteous Brothers’, ‘You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feelin’,’ and Justin Timberlake’s, ‘Can’t Stop the Feeling.’”

It’s a great reminder to all of us. Emotions fluctuate. They ebb and flow. Affection can run dry for a day or a season. Love includes emotions but can’t be all about emotions.

Love is dedication demonstrated through action. The cross is the ultimate example. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

How are you doing in the “love does” department?

Consider your most important relationships and ask yourself: Am I acting based on my emotions or based on my commitment to the other person? We won’t always have positive feelings toward others all of the time. By the Holy Spirit’s power, you can subordinate your feelings to your faith, which calls you to love – truly love – with sacrifice and selfless devotion.

Such love includes husbands and wives who hang in there and serve one another through rocky seasons. Such love includes parents who never stop viewing their children as gifts of God, no matter how the children behave. Such love includes friends who refuse to let differences drive them apart.

Serving others doesn’t require that you always feel positive toward them. Conflict happens. Tensions arise. Nevertheless, you can determine in your heart that, with God’s help, you’re going to “do love” no matter what.

“Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” (1 John 3:18)

Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day weekend!