Love is not a feeling................

[FighterforJC]

Love is not a feeling, it is a CHOICE to DO the loving thing.

Love is a choice and therefore we are all capable of loving anyone and everyone if we so choose.

I agree with you. I also agree that it is a command and therefore we must love. I Cor 13 tells us what love is, but my question is - How do we love the unloveable?

I understand about loving the sinner and not the sin, but in real terms, how do we love the unloveable? I would be grateful for any practical suggestions on this because this is a problem that is affecting my life at the moment.

To love the unloveable... the greatest love you can show the unloveable is by preaching the Gospel to them when you get the opportunity. Until then, make sure you don't end up murdering them. Personally, I feel that once you've earnestly preached the Gospel to someone you don't like, you're pretty much off the hook. You also develop compassion for them in the process and not hate them so much afterwards. So my suggestion is, actively look for opportunities to preach to this person. If they get born again, they'll probably be more loveable. If they're already saved, or claim to be anyway, I guess you'll just have to bear it and wait till both of you are in heaven so you can hang out like buddies.

Edited June 21, 2007 by FighterforJC

[sweetycakes]

I like the line in the Don Francisco song which says,

'Love is not a feeling, it's an act of your will.'

The song is 'Love is not a feeling'

You can find his songs here

[dugmando]

Hi to All,

I understand and agree with the thought about love being a choice and obedience but is it also not that I "choose" to be obedient and show forth Love simply because I Love more than myself, Him Who Loved me Greater than I could ever understand or express

I am obedient and show Love because I Love God, so this to me is not hard to understand and say an act of love toward others especially involving Ministry is an expression of My Love for Him/God.

Doug

[MorningGlory]

Love is a choice and therefore we are all capable of loving anyone and everyone if we so choose.

What do you think?

Ruth

No, some people are incapable of love. They are rare but some are either born that way or crushed by their lives and lose the ability. Unfortunately.

[Joshua-777]

I've been thinking - you know, the way one does from time to time.....!!!

"Greater love hath no man than this; that a man lay down his life for a friend."

Love is not a feeling, it is a CHOICE to DO the loving thing.

Feelings are unreliable, subjective, unstable, but we can always CHOOSE to DO the loving thing, whether we feel like it or not, and therein is our love for one another displayed.

Love is a choice and therefore we are all capable of loving anyone and everyone if we so choose.

What do you think?

Ruth

I believe it is a choice, it's not a feeling, I do believe the feeling part of love is the smallest aspect of it. If it was only a feeling, why would he have "love the Lord God with all your heart, soul and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself", as our commandments Jesus gave us, if it where based on only a feeling, there is no way we can keep this.

[MorningGlory]

Love is a choice and therefore we are all capable of loving anyone and everyone if we so choose.

What do you think?

Ruth

No, some people are incapable of love. They are rare but some are either born that way or crushed by their lives and lose the ability. Unfortunately.

Could you describe someone incapable of love?

Not only can I describe one, I actually have known a person like this. No ability to form bonds with anyone else, not even a pet. No regard for anyone's feelings or physical well being other than his own. No empathy or sympathy for others problems. No grief over the death of a parent or sibling. No desire to have a relationship, marry, or have children or even friends. I've just described a walking corpse, I know. Thank the Lord, these people are rare.

[senerhu]

I've been thinking - you know, the way one does from time to time.....!!!

"Greater love hath no man than this; that a man lay down his life for a friend."

Love is not a feeling, it is a CHOICE to DO the loving thing.

Feelings are unreliable, subjective, unstable, but we can always CHOOSE to DO the loving thing, whether we feel like it or not, and therein is our love for one another displayed.

Love is a choice and therefore we are all capable of loving anyone and everyone if we so choose.

What do you think?

Ruth

I honestly believe you are confusing the feeling of love with the choice of doing a loving thing, such as what is meant by the Scripture you stated...but that is my opinion...

[kat8585]

I like the line in the Don Francisco song which says,

'Love is not a feeling, it's an act of your will.'

The song is 'Love is not a feeling'

You can find his songs here

I LOVE Don Fransisco's music. My favorite is "Give Your Heart a Home". Christian music from the 80's and early 90's was the best.

[sierra21]

I went on a long drive tonight and I was thinking about this. I think i've changed my viewpoints from what i originally thought.

I think love CAN be a feeling, but it may or may not be accompanied by the choice to love. At the same time, one can choose to love someone devoid of the actual "feeling" of love. For example, there are times when I am terribly angry with my brother. I don't feel much love for him, but at the end of the day I choose to go to his house and make up with him because he is my family. I will always love him even if I don't really feel it. Other times, for example, my husband does something so wonderful that I look into his eyes and feel overwhelmingly in love with him that there is no need for a choice.

I hope that makes sense...

[sweetycakes]

I like the line in the Don Francisco song which says,

'Love is not a feeling, it's an act of your will.'

The song is 'Love is not a feeling'

You can find his songs here

I LOVE Don Fransisco's music. My favorite is "Give Your Heart a Home". Christian music from the 80's and early 90's was the best.

Yep.....can't argue with that

There ain't nothing wrong with Don Francisco's music

The site I linked to provides for free listening to his music. Well worth 'bookmarking', in my opinion