Love Beyond Feelings: Living in God’s Love Every Day

When we hear the word love, most of us immediately think of romantic love, the butterflies, the excitement, the longing for someone special. But love is far more than that. Love is a choice we make every day to care for and cherish others. It is expressed in many forms: the unconditional love of family, the loyalty and encouragement between siblings, the compassion and support we offer to friends, the kindness we show ourselves through self-care and acceptance, and most importantly, the divine love we share with and receive from God. Love is not just a feeling; it is a deliberate action, a commitment to put others before ourselves, and a reflection of God’s heart in our daily lives.

What happens when we fall in love? We feel we cannot live without that person. The thought of being apart makes us sad. We are willing to do anything to see them, even walk for hours just to spend a few moments together. We think of them constantly, make sacrifices, and delight in finding ways to please them. Love gives us life, joy, and purpose. Yet even the strongest relationships must be nurtured. If we neglect them, love cools, and the connection fades into routine. The same is true with our relationship with God. When we first come to Christ, everything feels new and sweet. We talk about Him with passion, pray continually, and want to serve Him with our whole hearts. Being away from God feels unbearable. But over time, life’s struggles, stress, fatigue, financial trials, sickness, and disappointments can cause that first love to grow cold. Without realizing it, we drift, stop praying, and lose intimacy with God. This creates discouragement, frustration, and spiritual deafness. The enemy uses distraction and noise to convince us that we are spiritually well, while in reality, we settle for spiritual crumbs.

Abandoning this first love makes us self-sufficient, leading to doubt, fear, and silence. We stop testifying about God’s goodness, fall into negativity, and forget the blessings we still have. We focus on lack instead of the abundant life Christ offers. But God calls us to repentance and restoration. He invites us to return to the intimacy we once had. It is time to:

· Reignite our relationship with God through prayer, worship, and meditation on His

Word.

· Share His love with others through acts of kindness, encouragement, and service.

· Be intentional in fellowship by joining, supporting, or starting small groups where love

and faith can be expressed.

· Give our time, talents, and resources to help those in need, reflecting God’s

generosity.

· Offer forgiveness and patience, showing the same grace God has shown us.

· Testify boldly about the ways God has worked in our lives, letting others experience

His hope through us.

We cannot pour into others what we do not possess ourselves. To share God’s peace, love, and joy, we must first immerse ourselves in Him. Study the Word, live it daily, and allow it to transform your thoughts, words, and actions. Be a light in the darkness. Love your neighbor, and remember, love is a powerful tool, and 1Corinthians 13 reminds us of its power: If I speak in the tongues of men or angels but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but does not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, and I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now, we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13. Let us share God’s love with everyone we encounter and not allow worries or routines to steal our intimacy with God. Strengthen your spirit with prayer, seek Him in Spirit and Truth, and you will see Him provide for every need. Live so full of His love that those around you can feel it.