Day 9
On Valentine’s Day consumers spent millions of dollars to tell that someone special, "I love you." But what is love? We think about it, talk about it, sing about it, and look for it, but exactly what is it?
Love is not sex. A lot of what the world calls "love" is really lust. Love is not an emotion. It creates emotions. It causes emotions. But it is not an emotion.
Love is an action. Love is not only something you think or feel, or something you say. It is something you do. When your wife asks if you love her, she actually wants you to do something loving. Acts of love, not only words of love. Notice the 14 different actions Paul uses to describe love. Love is treating someone with the qualities described here.
Love is also a choice. Look at the text again. They describe 14 actions that we choose to do or not do. We choose to love. We choose not to love. When we love in spite of our feelings, that’s loving by faith. If we act in a loving way, eventually the feelings will come back. It is not, can I love? It is, will I love?
"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (English Standard Version)
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness." - Galatians 5:22 (English Standard Version)
"Dearest Father, the love that You have given me is the greatest love of all. Nothing can compare to it. I yearn to know this love and by Your strength and love, willingly love those around me. I will “do” love and because You first loved me, I will love others unconditionally. In Jesus’ loving name, I pray, Amen!"
Day 230 Bible Reading: Esther 1-3, 1 Corinthians 11:1-16, Psalm 35:17-28 and Proverbs 21:19-20 
