Love is a verb. Forrest Gump (my hero) is not a smart man, but he knows what love is. By very self-definition, God is love. The scores of dictionary entries for “love” cannot decipher or describe this essence.

“Love her” is the advice of the marriage counselor.

“Love them” was the sage teaching of my pastoral care professor. The feeling results from the action. When we do thoughtful, loving things, the feelings do come back. If you don’t see the results right away, keep doing love anyway. We crave the sweet comfort of a loving relationship. We know and feel when it’s clicking and humming along like a favorite song. We learn that it’s the little things that feed, tend, and nourish that love. Giving thanks for a job well done, a kind gesture, a compliment unexpected. We make deposits in the emotional bank account.  

There will always be ups and downs. Love is a verb, the most used one in Scripture. It is worth the effort and time. Amazing things happen. Living and acting lovingly is a virtue; valued beyond reacting to events, we gain authority that is Jesus-sent. We decide and choose to love. We are well on the way to the subject of our loving: God the Father, Jesus, the Lord of Love, and the Holy Spirit, source of that divine, mutual love that is unconditional.

Pastor Art