passion @ uwa

This might be a bit similar to the book because i think it's so good. Yesterday we learnt that Jesus commands us to love one another. But what if i don't feel like it?

Life is full of choices. Everyday we make hundreds of choices whether we're aware of it or not. As emotional humans beings, many of our choices are governed by our feelings. We feel hungry so we eat. We feel tired so we go to sleep. We feel bored so we search for something to do. Because of this, the a lot of people think that love is the same, that it is just a feeling. The popular belief is that if you don't feel in love then the love isn't there anymore. But if you don't feel happy for that moment in time, does that mean that you won't feel happy again? In order to be happy, you can do things that you enjoy so you will be happy right? In the same way, if you don't feel like loving, it doesn't mean that love isn't there. You have to choose to love, to act in a loving way.

When Jesus commanded us to love one another, he wasn't asking us to 'feel' but he was asking us to 'act'! The thing is, you cannot command an emotion, but you can command an action. Love is not just a feeling, it is a choice, an action. Actions don't necessarily follow feelings but feelings tend to follow actions, though sometimes not as quickly as you want them to. This is the same with love. Act with love first.

So even if i don't feel like showing love, i should just act on it anyway? Wouldn't i be fake, a hypocrite if i do that? But think about the many times that you've done something that you didn't want to do. When you had morning exams on really cold winter mornings and the warmth of your bed seemed more attractive. You won't call up your lecturer and say that you don't feel like sitting for the exam so you won't go otherwise you'd feel like a hypocrite, right? Imagine what the world would be like if everyone did things based on what they felt alone, probably nothing much would be accomplished.

There are some days when i just don't feel like doing something, my dear boyfriend has to tell me to get up and get to it. Stubborn as i am, i usually don't listen immediately. But it really boils down to choice and action. Yes, you might be feeling bad, but so what? What are you gonna do about it? It was only when i decided to act, decided to stop being that way that i also started to feel better.

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth (1 John 3:18)

There is power in action so take that step to act with love.


Lotsa love,

rach~