Love Is Action

Secular culture often portrays love as a warm and fuzzy feeling that makes one happy and even giddy. But when it comes to actually loving someone the way God has called us to, is love really just a feeling? Or is true love more than mere emotions?

What Is Love?

          When the Pharisees asked Jesus what the greatest commandment is, He replied, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” (Matthew 22:35-39, NKJV).

            If God’s two greatest commands are both about love, He must consider love to be essential.

            So, what is love?

            "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves. Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8, NIV).

            Notice that each description of love in that passage is an action. It does not say that love makes you feel giddy, excited, or warm and fuzzy on the inside. Those are merely effects of love, not what defines love.

            True love isn’t a feeling, but rather a decision you make to display that love through your actions.

            It's is forgiving instead of holding onto a grudge and loving someone regardless of if we feel like doing it or not. It’s thinking about what’s best for others, even if it sometimes costs us personally. True love offers a listening ear and serves others any way it can help them.

            The act of loving others like Jesus loves us does not come naturally to our sin nature. Rather, it requires us to go against our natural, sinful tendencies and make up our minds to purposely live a lifestyle of love.

We’ve all experienced in some way the kind of love that is all talk but no substance. The kind of love that says one thing but does another. First John 3:18 says not to just love with our words but also with our deeds and actions.

In John 13:34-35, Jesus said to love each other as He loves us, thereby showing others that we are His disciples. Loving others with our actions and not just our words is part of what sets us apart from the rest of the world. It shouts, “Hey! I’m a Jesus-follower!”

Do you extend this love to others?

Love Is Action

True love is a multi-faceted lifestyle that God has called us to.

But if there was one word I could use to describe love, it would be action. And if there was one example of true love I could point to, it would be Jesus. After all, 1 John 4:8 tells us that God is love.

Remnant, let your love for God and for others be noticeable action. Don’t rely on a gushy feeling that makes you feel good because we won’t always feel that way. Loving others isn’t always easy. Yet, because love is a choice to take action, we can overcome our feelings and do what God has called us to do.

Jesus Himself likely didn’t feel warm and fuzzy on the inside when He was being whipped, humiliated, and crucified on our behalf. Just as our Saviour proved His love for us with His actions, let’s do the same for Him and others.

Let’s do it together.

-Olivia

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Also, celebrate Valentine's Day by celebrating God's love with The Remnant's love-themed playlist! Click here to listen!