Is Love a Feeling

Valentine's Day is fast approaching.  The day we celebrate love.  There many verses in the Bible that speak of love.  Here are a few.

Luke 6:35  But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

1 Corinthians 13:4  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

Galatians 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Have you ever looked at the way the Bible uses the word love?  It doesn't say 'do this and you will feel love'.  Most of the time when the word love is used it is an action word.  It is not a feeling.  God commands us to love one another.  He didn't say feel love for one another.  He said do it.  Does that mean we have to love when we don't feel it?  Yes, that is exactly what it means.  We are commanded to love, love, and then love again.  No one is commanded to love us.  (Remember the Bible is a letter to us.) 

Since Valentine's Day is approaching, it would be a good time to love--even when we don't feel it.  I would like to challenge you to show love to someone in your life, even if you don't feel it.  Here are a few ideas.  Leave them a note or a card that celebrates something about them.  I had a friend who put a note in her husband's lunch box every day.  My husband has left notes on my dashboard.  Try it for a week and see if something changes.  There is something about receiving an unexpected note that brings joy to the heart and softens hard edges.  How would a love note to that difficult teenager touch his or her heart?  Not a gushy, mushy note.  Just a note that says, "Hey son, I'm glad God sent you to me."  Or maybe, "You are still my baby."  "My life became brighter the day you were born."  And to that mate who is difficult to love, yes there are some, "Thanks for your help around the house."  "Thanks for providing for me and the children."  "I appreciate your service at church and in the community." 

Everyone wants to be appreciated.  Let's determine to appreciate a loved one next week.  Let's show love and not 'wait' for the love.