Love is a Verb

The simplest definition of a verb I was taught as a kid was this: ” a verb is a doing word”. A verb is used to describe an action among other things. Of course if someone says he/she love you, you expect that love will be demonstrated in action. Without the commensurate action you will conclude that the person is merely paying lip service.

God Himself is the embodiment of love and He backs his love with action.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only son. 1 John 3:16 tells us Jesus also backed His love for us with action: “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us.” Then the verse goes on to encourage us to do same: “And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” A couple of verses down in verse 18 the writer says “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.”

There cannot be true love without action and though good actions do not necessarily indicate love, love must necessarily be expressed through action. Love can be inconvenient, costly and painful but we must show love nevertheless.

Show love by sharing what you have with the less fortunate, visit the sick, volunteer your time at a shelter, donate to a cause you believe in to help others, join in relief efforts after a disaster, the list is endless.

Jesus said the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbour as yourself and we know “the neighbor” is not just the person whose house you can see from your window. Your neighbor is anyone you can reach with your action of love.

Let us determine to do an act of love frequently; it must be a part of us. Let me conclude with one of my favorite hymns:

“Beloved, let us love For those who love They only are His sons Born from above”

Blessings.
Love, Lady Monica