A friend told me a long time ago that Love is NOT a feeling. He said ,"Love is a commitment".
I went further ask him what he meant by that,and he said....."feelings die,feeligs fade,feelings fluctuate,today you feel like heaven with the one you love and tomorrow you feel like hell with the same person....and on and on and on". He went further to say that commitment keeps you strong. Commitment makes you want to stand by and stand through. Commitment keeps you focused.
I went further into the dictionary to check out the meaning of the word commitment...
Commitment means to show loyalty, duty or pledge to something or someone, Commitment ignites action. To commit is to pledge yourself to a certain purpose or line of conduct. It also means practicing your beliefs consistently. There are, therefore, two fundamental conditions for commitment. The first is having a sound set of beliefs. There is an old saying that goes, "Stand for something or you'll fall for anything." The second is faithful adherence to those beliefs with your behavior. Possibly the best description of commitment is "persistence with a purpose".
When Christ says He loves us, He means that He is commited to us. He is Persistent in His love for us with one purpose of redeeming us eternally. If love were to be feelings to Christ,a lot of times we'd make Him feel like slapping us, giving us a blow/spank or even making us cease to live. But no! It's not how He feels towards us. He's committed to us in Good and in Bad. He wont stop loving us no matter who/what we are. He loves us in our worst and our best. He loves us for better for worse. Consistently and persistently, He has proven to be our own very role model of TRUE LOVE.
When I tell you I love you,I am indirectly telling you that I'm ready to be committed to you.When my feelings are right or wrong, the commitment remains. When feelings and emotions fail, commitment is the bond that still keeps us glued to the ones we have professed our love to. I love you is different from I have feelings for you. If you love me then you are committes to me. You are persistent with the purpose of loving me forever, for better for worse, for good and for bad. No wonder the bible admonishes husbands to love their wives just like Christ have loved the church. Christ loved the church unrepentantly. Even the church's several waknesses and failures wont change Christ's commitment to her.
We must learn to mind the use of the word LOVE.Always be clear on what u feel u feel. You can't feel love. God is Love. Love is God. God showed us His love by His commitment to us. Show love to those you have proffessed it to by staying committed.
FInally, you cant give what ou dont have. If u dont have God,then u can't show love because Love is who God is. He is the author of it. Know God, Know love and show love.
SHALOM.
