Feelings Can Change, But True Love Does Not
Often we equate love with feelings. If we feel happy, we love. If disappointed or hurt, that love disappears. But is true love really supposed to depend on what we feel? Or is true love steadfast even when our emotions fluctuate?
Jesus Demonstrates Unconditional Love
Jesus gives us a very clear example of love that does not depend on feelings. When He was hung on the cross, betrayed, spat upon, hurt, and insulted, He still prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). This was not the result of pleasant feelings, but a decision to love despite being hurt.
Love Is a Choice, Not an Emotional Reaction
This kind of love is not reactive to circumstances, but active and consistent because it comes from a heart filled with God. True love is patient and kind (1 Corinthians 13:4-7), and all these qualities do not arise because we are ‘feeling good,’ but because of the character formed by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
Love Is Not a Sign of Weakness
This does not mean we allow ourselves to be continually hurt. Love can also say “no” wisely and firmly, yet without hatred or bitterness. As it is written in 1 John 4:7, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.”
Living in Christ’s Love Every Day
When we live with love that does not depend on feelings, we become a light in a world that is reactive and selfish. The world needs people who choose to love sincerely, not because it is comfortable, but because they choose to obey Christ’s love.
