Love is not (mainly) a decision

Photo by UX Indonesia on Unsplash

 

It has been said that I must decide first to love and that emotions will follow suit. This may be true with human love, but it is not the case of the love we are called to express due to an encounter with the Triune God of the Universe (Epiphany).

The action of loving my enemy should come, first, from the overwhelming delight of knowing that I am loved by God; it should flow from the grace and mercy He has extended toward me, a real enemy of the Almighty. Once the Spirit of Christ allows me to understand how His Person and Work bridged the infinite chasm my sin created, then the joy of His redemption overtakes, overflows, overides my heart making the differences between me and my enemies minuscule; at that point, I am able and free and willing to love everyone.

The joy of knowing I am loved by Him, then, becomes the fuel for my actions. This actions must be defined not by my level of comfort but by His justice, mercy, and grace and they should have the benefit of the recipient as its goal.

What about you? What motivates you to love others?

-AV