top of page
Search

Love Is Not A Feeling


It is accurate to call love "doing good". However . . . such behavior is not necessarily connected to feelings of affection, or benevolence. It is behavior. It is action. It is participation that is beneficial to someone.


The directions we have from the Bible are that we are to "love one another". Though there is no definition of what that means or who that includes, it literally means everybody.


You say, "I'm supposed to LOVE everyone? There are people I don't even like!"


I understand what you are saying. We all share those kinds of feelings. But . . . we CAN be good or kind to everyone. We are all flawed human beings who cannot love (or like) everyone, but we can at least be kind to all. We must try. We must go as far as we can.


The first step is recognizing that having warm feelings toward another person is not a required attitude. Kindness is required, but not necessarily a feeling of love.


Yesterday, for example, an envelope for one of our neighbors was included in our own mail delivery, so I took it to them. That was kindness — kindness is 'love-action'. I do not have any particular fondness nor affection for those neighbors, so my delivery was simply being kind.


Tiredness, weariness, fear, sorrow and other unwanted conditions may burden us. But even when so overwhelmed with unwanted conditions, we can and must render acts of helpfulness and loving kindness. We must not wait until we feel like it. Loving-kindness is always needed and always possible. 


So . . . if love is not a feeling, what is it?


It is ACTION.

Comments


bottom of page