Love: Is It How We Feel, or How We Act?

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resurrection33

resurrection33

Banned
#1
Dec 19, 2009
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When Jesus speaks of love, is he telling us how to feel or how to treat others? I might ask: What good does it do if I feel love for you but treat you like garbage?

Maybe this is a clue:

[19] Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."
[20] No, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head." Rom 12:19-20 RSV
 
2knowhim

2knowhim

Banned
#2
Oct 12, 2011
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I don't understand this statement,

Quote: What good does it do if I feel love for you but treat you like garbage?


If you love someone how can you treat them like garbage? That's not love.
 
resurrection33

resurrection33

Banned
#3
Dec 19, 2009
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2knowhim said:
I don't understand this statement,

Quote: What good does it do if I feel love for you but treat you like garbage?


If you love someone how can you treat them like garbage? That's not love.
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When the Lord told us to love each other, I believe he was teaching us how to treat each other. If someone tries to murder you, you might not like that person, but you are still supposed to treat them with love. That doesn’t mean you can’t defend yourself.
 
2knowhim

2knowhim

Banned
#4
Oct 12, 2011
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#4
resurrection33 said:
When the Lord told us to love each other, I believe he was teaching us how to treat each other. If someone tries to murder you, you might not like that person, but you are still supposed to treat them with love. That doesn’t mean you can’t defend yourself.
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Ahhh.....Ok......

I still don't know what your getting at, if this is someone you know,
Pray for them, they need it, and keep your distance.

And yes, we are told to turn the other cheek,
and fear not what man can do to the body, but, i think defending yourself
would be a automatic response to something like that.

Again not sure where your coming from, there is human love and then there
is God Love. Totally different.

The Love I have for all mankind is God imparted Love, through Him,
God may not like what we do , but He loved us so much He sent His Son,
To redeem us.

I can love someone through Him, and not like who they are in the flesh.

Blessings
 
resurrection33

resurrection33

Banned
#5
Dec 19, 2009
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2knowhim said:
Ahhh.....Ok......

I still don't know what your getting at, if this is someone you know,
Pray for them, they need it, and keep your distance.

And yes, we are told to turn the other cheek,
and fear not what man can do to the body, but, i think defending yourself
would be a automatic response to something like that.

Again not sure where your coming from, there is human love and then there
is God Love. Totally different.

The Love I have for all mankind is God imparted Love, through Him,
God may not like what we do , but He loved us so much He sent His Son,
To redeem us.

I can love someone through Him, and not like who they are in the flesh.

Blessings
Click to expand...
I think it’s important to understand that love means we are to treat people well.
 
B

Bloodwashed

Guest
#6
#6
I'm getting your drift! Yes, love is kind, seeks not its own way! Read all about it 1 Corinthians 13!!! I sometimes have to make the decision to love, we always don't feel the love. Usually after deciding to love, the feelings come, as we remember that He first loved us, when we were undeserving! God Bless, & chose LOVE!--Mark--
 
tribesman

tribesman

Senior Member
#7
Oct 13, 2011
4,621
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#7
It may sound pretty charismatic, but there is no real love without feelings. This said, it is important to underline that whatever a man loves will be his motivation and inspiration in his life. What a man loves shows who he is. It should be out of love for God that we strive to obey His commandments, this same motivation should also be the rule in our relations to the brethren. Can we honestly say we need not to improve here? Most of the time, more could be done. After all, words as good they can be can also be cheap if not turned into some action. Love will challenge us to do something with our lives, to be the neighbor of someone, to make a difference.

1John.3


[14] We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
[15] Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
[16] Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
[17] But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
[18] My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
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savageblogger2

Guest
#8
#8
You could also consider James: "faith without works is dead." Love is not living love unless it's acted upon, taken as an extension.

Another thing to think about, oddly, is a thought written by sci-fi author Orson Scott Card in "Ender's Game." In a secondary storyline, a psychopath seeks political power, and gains it - and uses the power to do great (i.e., good) things, uniting humanity and causing peace. Because the nature of his power is political, and by the consent of the governed, he naturally does things that would be considered right, because doing evil would cause him to lose power.

The statement about him was fascinating: if what an evil man is indistinguishable from what a good man does, does that not mitigate the evil?

From a Christian standpoint, of course, the answer is no - a man might do wonderful things and yet lack salvation. But beyond this point, if one considers the "evil man" to be saved - i.e., if we apply it to Christian life - we see redemption (well, not Christ's redemption) through what we do.

Let me be clear: I'm not saying we are saved through works. If we are saved through Christ, we are redeemed from sin. Yet we are NOT necessarily redeemed from action; that's the redemption I'm referring to here.

So should we act as if we love, when this is difficult to do? I would think the answer would be yes, and in time that act will be the reality, and that's as it should be.
 
S

shroom2

Banned
#9
Apr 13, 2011
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#9
Love is an act, our behavior, not a feeling.
 
M

mori

Guest
#10
#10
If we're speaking English, it's both. Butchering the language doesn't make you pious.
 
M

mpaper345

Banned
#11
Feb 9, 2010
2,486
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#11
We can feel love,for the Spirit gives us love for other people,but love is not applied to our life towards other people,that is pleasing to God,unless it is in action,and if a person does not show love in action,then the Spirit is not giving them love.

That is why the Bible,when referring to love,calls it charity,which is love in action.

God said if any person has this world's goods,and does not help the poor,then the love of God is not in them,so do not love in word only,but love in deed and truth.

Like faith is not applied in someone's life unless they have works,like feeding the poor,works of the Spirit,based in love,then love is not applied in our life,unless it is in action,and we do not receive love from the Spirit,unless we have love in action.

So the only way we can truly have love,is if we have love in action,to do the deed and to feel the love of the Spirit towards other Spirit,because without the Spirit we cannot love people like we should,which we have to have the action to feel the love.

You cannot feel the love without the action.
 
resurrection33

resurrection33

Banned
#12
Dec 19, 2009
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tribesman said:
It may sound pretty charismatic, but there is no real love without feelings. This said, it is important to underline that whatever a man loves will be his motivation and inspiration in his life. What a man loves shows who he is. It should be out of love for God that we strive to obey His commandments, this same motivation should also be the rule in our relations to the brethren. Can we honestly say we need not to improve here? Most of the time, more could be done. After all, words as good they can be can also be cheap if not turned into some action. Love will challenge us to do something with our lives, to be the neighbor of someone, to make a difference.
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I think you can treat a person well without liking that person.
 
resurrection33

resurrection33

Banned
#13
Dec 19, 2009
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#13
mori said:
If we're speaking English, it's both. Butchering the language doesn't make you pious.
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I think you can treat a person well without liking that person.

I also think you can like a person but treat the person badly.
 
M

mori

Guest
#14
#14
resurrection33 said:
I think you can treat a person well without liking that person.

I also think you can like a person but treat the person badly.
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I'm not sure why that's a response, though.
 
M

mpaper345

Banned
#15
Feb 9, 2010
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We are to love all people regardless of how they treat us.

14Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord(Hebrews 12:14).

18If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men(Romans 12:18).

We have to follow peace with all people,and get along with them,as much as lies in us.Some people we can say hello to,but want to proceed no farther,because of the way they act,but we are still following peace with them.Some people we can shake their hand,but want to proceed no farther,and some people we can give them a hug.
 
resurrection33

resurrection33

Banned
#16
Dec 19, 2009
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#16
mori said:
I'm not sure why that's a response, though.
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Because if someone is constantly and intentionally causing us trouble, I don’t think we are required to like that person. When Jesus told us to love our enemies, I think he was telling us how to treat them, not how to feel about them. I would use this as evidence:

[19] Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."
[20] No, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head." Rom 12:19-20 RSV
 
M

mori

Guest
#17
#17
You're command to, can, and should do both. Jesus talked about the attitude as much as the actions. And the word in English means both.

Sounds like you're looking for an excuse to have your own private grudges as long as you don't act on them.
 
resurrection33

resurrection33

Banned
#18
Dec 19, 2009
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#18
mori said:
You're command to, can, and should do both. Jesus talked about the attitude as much as the actions. And the word in English means both.

Sounds like you're looking for an excuse to have your own private grudges as long as you don't act on them.
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Paul seems to be saying something else, and I don’t know why I should be required to like a person who is intentionally making my life difficult. It seems to me such a person should be content if I treat him well and not worry about how I feel about him.
 
M

mpaper345

Banned
#19
Feb 9, 2010
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#19
26Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath(Ephesians 4:26).

We do not have to like them,their ways,but we have to love them no matter how they act.

We may get angry because of the way people act towards us,but love them and do not sin towards them by hating them or trying to hurt them.
 
M

mori

Guest
#20
#20
resurrection33 said:
I don’t know why I should be required to like a person who is intentionally making my life difficult.
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If you expect everything you're asked to do to make sense to you, you have no need of the Bible and can rely simply on this sort of me-and-mine reasoning. Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Who indeed should be required to like people who are making their lives difficult?

Who is Paul telling you it's ok to dislike? Do you have a name in mind?
 
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