THAT LOVING FEELING!

Is LOVE a feeling or an action? Few people have an idea of what true love is. Some people seem to think of it only in terms of nice feelings, warm affection, romance, and desire.

Most people tend to focus on falling in love and use the feeling of love to determine the duration of a relationship. Falling in love is easy to do, but losing that loving feeling is not hard to do at all. Feelings can be fleeting. No one seems to want to talk about how those loving feelings can fade. Choosing to stay in love is a choice that we all must make. Real love is a choice. Real love is action. Love is a verb. It shows an action.

“Though I speak with the tongue of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

Self-giving love, love that demands something of us, love that is more concerned with giving than receiving, is as rare in much of the church today as it was in Corinth. Our world has defined love as a “romantic feeling” or “attraction," or “lust," which has nothing to do with true love in God’s terms.

An example of agape love is God’s love. “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16). Love is above all sacrificial. It is to have love for those that may not care nothing at all about us, and who may even hate us.

Love is an action that you choose to do. A determined act, which should result in a determined act of self-giving. Real love is the willing, joyful desire to put others above you. Love leaves no room for pride, vanity, arrogance, self-seeking nor self-glory.

The ultimate example of love would be Jesus dying on the cross for an unworthy people, who were His enemies by nature. God Himself, in the form of a man, out of a love that desired reconciliation, did what man could not do for man’s sake, suffered in their place, and accomplished the greatest act of love in all of History and for Mankind.

No greater example of love exists. Love is not found only or entirely in emotions or feelings. Love is found, in God. God is Love. And this Love, not that we don’t love God, but that He first loved us and sent His Son as a propitiation for our sins.

The reason this is such an expression of love is that God was totally full, totally complete, and totally satisfied in and of Himself (the Godhead). He, as God, was totally full, complete and satisfying, by His very nature. And while he needed nothing in addition to Himself, He not only made us for His glory, His fellowship and His enjoyment, but suffered on our behalf to solve a problem we caused, but at His expense. That is Love! Love is a pure intention expressed towards another, without conditions or favoritism, despite any qualifications, simply for the sake of expressing love. Love is the greatest, purest, and most beautiful thing in all of existence. Love never fails. God is love!