Quoting Jerry Bridges:
Love is very much a matter of actions rather than emotions. However, although this emphasis on acts of love is certainly necessary, we can sometimes give the impression that love doesn’t involve any emotion – that it is entirely an act of the will, of one’s duty, regardless of how one feels. We can even promote the “I can love him but I can’t like him” type of attitude. The Bible does not support such an unbalanced concept of love…fervently, fondly, and affectionately (are used in the Bible) to describe the love Christians ought to have for one another… Obviously such a fervency of spirit cannot substitute for loving actions, but surely it should accompany them. We dare not settle for less. (The Practice of Godliness, NavPress, 1996, p. 209-210)
Filed under: Bible, Christianity, Faith, Grace, Holiness, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ | Tagged: Bible, Christian, God, Jerry Bridges, Navigator, NavPress, Practice of Godliness, The Navigators (organization), The Practice |
Samuel at Gilgal 
A very pertinent comment and one I resoundly agree with. Jesus would often be “moved with compassion” and that phrase hardly describes a robotic handing out of “love” but a heartfelt and emotional response that was accompanied with action.
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Sometimes we have to do the actions before the love will grow in our hearts. But if we want it badly enough, I think God will give it to us. After all, it is love.
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