Here is the third part of the What Is Love series I have been blogging about.  If you have not read Part 1 & Part 2 please so so before reading this…If you already have let’s go…

LOVE is…

L = Listening

O = Obedience

V = Voluntary 

You cannot be forced to love.  Love is a choice.  If you have no choice and are forced to love then it is not truly love.  In order for love to be true and genuine it has to be a voluntary act.  Love is about making a choice.  When you make the choice to love, you begin to see love grow.  Love grows not by feelings but by action.  The more you act your way into love the more love you have.  Most people wait for love to “hit” them then they act.  But love is choosing to act your way into love, not loving your way into action.  If you only acted when you have “feelings” love, then you will be an unpredictable basket-case.  That is why the Righteous Brothers sang, “You lost that loving feeling.” When you lose the loving feeling you stop acting on your love.  That is a backwards way of how love works.  If you define love as a “feeling” then maybe it makes sense, but love is SO MUCH MORE than a feeling, it is a choice.

Joshua 24:15

Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.

We have to choose who we are going to serve, and we don’t serve feelings they serve us.  “Feelings” exist to serve our choices, not our choices serve our “feelings”.  If our choices served our “feelings” then we will be tossed around by every little breeze that comes our way.  Love is stable and solid not fleeting and floating.  The kind of love that only comes from Christ is secure and strong.  The love we show others should follow suit as an example of God’s love.  Here is a good way to choose to love and choose the life you will live.  Make this declaration over your life…

I will do more than belong – I will participate

I will do more than care – I will help

I will do more than believe – I will practice

I will do more than be fair – I will be kind

I will do more than forgive – I will forget

I will do more than dream – I will work

I will do more than teach – I will inspire

I will do more than earn – I will enrich

I will do more than give – I will serve

I will do more than live – I will grow

I will do more than suffer – I will triumph

~ William Arthur Ward ~