Romans 13:10
“Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
Love is one of the most misused words. People say, “I love you,” but their words oftentimes do not match their actions. Love is not a noun but a verb. Love is an action and not a possession. God says, “…love is the fulfilling of the law.” You will notice that God says, “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour…” Again, love is an action or a work and not a feeling.
We oftentimes have this mentality that love is a fuzzy and warm feeling, but a fuzzy and warm feeling does nothing for those whom we are to love. If I say to my wife, “I feel fuzzy and warm about you,” that will not go very far with her because love is more than a spoken word. A child can tell their parents, “I feel emotional about you,” but that doesn’t get the trash taken out and the rules obeyed. Love is a present-tense action and not a past feeling.
One of the best ways to fix any relationship problem is to truly love someone. If you want to make your marriage what it should be, then don’t just say you love your spouse, but show your spouse you love them. A husband can say to his wife, “I love you,” but that doesn’t make his wife feel like he loves her. If a husband wants to love his wife, then he would be wise to prove his love. A husband loves his wife when he turns his head from looking at that which he should not look. A husband loves his wife by mowing the yard and keeping the car in working order. The husband loves his wife when he makes sure the bills are paid and that there is money in the banking account to purchase groceries. Love is turning down the strange woman. Love is going to work every day to pay the bills. Love is living right when your wife is not around.
Moreover, a wife loves her husband when she makes sure that his needs are met. Love is making sure your husband has clean clothes to wear every day. Love is making sure his dress shirt is ironed and ready when he goes to the closet. Love is preparing the meal everyday to the best of your ability. Love is submitting to his leadership without the dramatics of your disagreement. Love is fulfilling his physical needs without showing your disdain. Love is doing right when your husband is not around.
Furthermore, just because a child tells their parents that they love them does not mean they love them. Love is a child doing their homework without their parents having to stand over them to be sure it is done. Love is staying pure when the opposite gender makes an advance. Love is listening to the right music when your parents are not around. Love is completing your chores the first thing every morning. Love is making your bed every morning before you leave your room. Love is cleaning your bedroom without your mother having to tell you. Love is an action and not simply a word.
Friend, this principle is true for every relationship. It is true for the Christian’s relationship with Christ. It is true for a friend’s relationship with a friend. It is true with your relationship with in-laws. You must ask yourself, how much do you truly love those whom you live with everyday? Yes, you should tell people you love them because they need to hear it, but your actions will validate an “I love you.” Start focusing more on your actions than your words, and you will find they will believe you when you tell them you love them.