Love Takes Action: Love is What Love Does - Grit & Grace
The more I study and ponder, and let my heart, soul, and mind simmer in all that love is, the more I realize that love as a feeling must involve plenty of doing. Love takes action.
I know, I know. The word “stupid” isn’t very loving. But we’ve talked about this before: my brain is filled with movie quotes and song lyrics. Love is what love does immediately triggered stupid is as stupid does. So here we are.
In the movie, Forrest Gump was often asked if he was stupid. He quotes his mother by replying, “Stupid is as stupid does.” Forrest decided his actions – not his IQ – would display the truth of who he was. Actions speak louder than words.
Love takes action.
“In the end, love doesn’t just keep thinking about it or keep planning for it. Simply put: love does.” Bob Goff
I remember reading Bob Goff’s book, Love Does. It was around the time I first started noticing love leaves. I had asked for eyes to see, and there was no way to unsee all that God was showing me about the greatest commandment. Because of this, this book was challenging in all the right ways. I soon discovered that love has to be more than just thoughts and feelings. It takes action. Love does.
Love always is that way. I don’t think Bible verses were meant to be thrown like grenades at each other. They were meant for us to use to point each other toward love and grace and invite us into something much bigger.
Bob Goff, Love Does
Love gets personal.
The description of love Paul lays out for us in 1 Corinthians 13 isn’t some grenade he’s throwing. He’s encouraging us to see love in a different light. Paul’s trying to spur us into action. He’s pointing us towards a love that’s so much bigger than some detached faraway feeling.
Love is patient, love is kind, it isn’t jealous, it doesn’t brag, it isn’t arrogant, it isn’t rude, it doesn’t seek its own advantage, it isn’t irritable, it doesn’t keep a record of complaints, it isn’t happy with injustice, but it is happy with the truth. It puts up with all things, trusts in all things, hopes for all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 CEB
Love is personal. Not only is God love, but he expresses that love in the most personal way ever. He became flesh so he could be with us. God with us. Love with us. Paul’s exhortation is a call to action, a call to love. A call to love like Jesus did and does.
What would happen if I took a step towards personalizing these verses?
Becky is patient, and she is kind.
Love is.
Becky isn’t jealous, doesn’t brag, isn’t arrogant, and she isn’t rude.
Love does.
Becky doesn’t seek her own advantage, isn’t irritable, and doesn’t keep a record of complaints.
She isn’t happy with injustice, but Becky is happy with the truth.
Love is what love does.
Becky is a Miami native, and has lived here all of her life. Married to her husband for over 20 years, they lead a very active lifestyle along with their three teenagers and Riley, their rescue dog. Becky loves to teach, and has had the awesome privilege of home educating her children for over twelve years. When not teaching academics, Becky loves to equip, encourage, and empower women through the teaching of her group fitness classes. Becky and her husband lead various ministries, and their family loves to serve the community through the countless opportunities provided over the past twenty years+ in their local church. She enjoys filling her "free" time with reading, writing, watching movies, and just spending time with the family. Becky has a passion for living her life with grit and grace, and encouraging others to do the same.
