Love is not a feeling. Crazy statement, right? In a society in which emotions impact our everyday choices, saying that the biggest of those emotions isn’t a “feeling” may seem borderline counterintuitive. Yes, this is Diego typing. & no, I am not being forced. This also isn’t something I just sporadicly thought about either, God has been convicting me of basing lots of things on feeling “love” or “loved” and honestly, it has negatively effected my relationship with Him. Here’s an example:
Earlier this week, my team and had the chance to go to the local Juvenile center here in Thailand & just demonstrate “love”. Backtrack to that morning: I woke up tired, hungry, and with an incredible afro that would’ve naturally made me cool in the 70s (unfortunately that was quite a while ago). Needless to say, considering everything was working against me, “love” was something far fetched from my mind.
I also was dealing with feeling “love” from my teammates, being a mamas boy and always having her by my side whenever things get rough, I (for some odd reason) expected that same love from my teammates. I also expected to be shown “love” the same way my crazy incredible friends back home loved me (I miss y’all like crazy). But, my expectations were high and reality wasn’t really met.
I was faced with a choice. Wait to feel “loved” or do something about it. That morning, my prayer went something along the lines of:
“hey God, I honestly am not feeling it this morning. I’m tired. I’m hungry. I look like someone from That 70s show. And I really don’t think I can do it today. Please change that.” and the crazy thing is, after that prayer I felt… nothing.
But there was something different, a profound truth that I knew no “feeling” could ever facade. A burning flame that we somehow disregard for a fickle fire called “feelings”. Love is something real. Something tangible. Love is an action, not a just a preceding noun to a meaningless sentence. And sometimes it’s ok to not feel it. Because it’s not a feeling, it’s more than that. Love is a subliminal yet constant truth that isn’t always felt, but always present.
I could sit here and list all the verses that say how much you are loved, but the truth is (if Christ is in you) you know that you are incredibly loved. What I can tell you is, though sometimes you don’t feel love, it IS there and it’s ok to not feel it.
If our faith was based off a feeling, I honestly believe it would be eradicated by now. But it’s not, it’s based on concrete action, the cross. That’s where true love was poured out and accomplished. Jesus didn’t just say “I love you”, but rather demonstrated it. God had a choice: say how much he loved us or show it. He did both. We, in return, have a choice: wait to feel that love or know that it is there, even when we’re not “feeling it.”
Love isn’t just a feeling. It’s an action. It is eternal. It is choosing to overlook all circumstances and find peace in an underlining truth. Love is calling each other up (which sometimes may suck [this is for you Parks]). Choose joy. Choose happiness. Choose Love.
That morning love was chosen. Even though I didn’t feel it, I knew it was there. Ministry that day was crazy good. God showed up in incredible ways and the kids at the prison seemed touched. Not by some feeling, but by actions.
So if today you woke up tired, hungry, and not feeling the love: Pray & choose to find peace in Christ’s eternally selfless act of it.
