Love isn’t effortless, it requires work

“A new commandment I give you: love one another …”#8212; 1 John 13:14 (NIV)

When Valentine#146;s Day gets close each year, I enjoy writing about the act of love. Love isn#146;t a mere gooey feeling; it#146;s an action. True love thinks before it speaks, acts or gives.

Everything worthwhile in life takes effort. Love is no different. Many people think love comes naturally. Although some people do appear to have a bit more loving sentiment in their personalty and heart than others, it#146;s something we all must work at.

Our human nature can tend to be lazy at times. It takes energy and forethought to put forth a loving gesture or a kind word to someone else.

Love isn#146;t a feeling that you do just when you feel like it, as when we first fall in love with someone or something new in our lives. That newness eventually wears off. Ask any loving parent how much effort it takes to care for a new baby after many sleepless nights. Or a parent who has to prepare supper after a long day at work and then help with homework.

Love isn#146;t selfish. It doesn#146;t do the right thing to get the right thing, it does the right thing because it#146;s the right thing to do. It puts away shopping carts in the right spot because it#146;s what#146;s correct. It hangs up clothes that drop off the hangers while shopping; it smiles at others. It#146;s a lot of small details. Not just giving hearts, candy and flowers.

Although giving those things are kind gestures as well.

Love sets us free from being selfish and self-centered. Watch how depression and discouragement leave when you give yourself to a task to help someone else.

Showing love to one another means being courteous to people we like, as well as those we don#146;t care for.

Love was the new commandment set forth by Christ. He desired us to learn how to love #8212; when we love, we obey all the 10 commandments. It#146;s hard to break any of them if you#146;re showing love.

Love isn#146;t something we practice one special day each year. It#146;s a discipline we put into motion each and every day of the year.

Ÿ Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, life coach and nurse. She can be contacted by email at Annetteebudzban@aol.com