Love. A word that we throw around so loosely. A word I’m certain we don’t completely comprehend. A word associated with a feeling. But what if we considered that love is a choice? Feelings come and go like tidal waves on some days and like soft ebbs and flows on other days. When we make the decision to choose to love our feelings shouldn’t be part of the equation. I believe we get it terribly wrong by defining love as a feeling.
I’m in the middle of reading a book titled “Love Like You Mean It” by Bob Lepine. I’m a sucker for a book sale. I bought this book along with a stack of other books at a Marriage Conference Chris and I went to in March 2024. I’m just now getting to it and I have to say as always - God’s timing is spot on!
Let me side step here a minute. If you’ve not had the chance to attend The Weekend to Remember put on by Family Life I encourage you to check it out and consider taking the time to invest in your marriage, I promise you won’t regret it! There are a couple of options near us. The first one is coming up!
Louisville - October 24-46, 2025
Cincinnati - February 27-March 1, 2026
Chicago - March 20-22, 2026
Indianapolis - March 27-29, 2026
Back to the book. This book is not only about loving your spouse well, but loving all people. Remember the two greatest commandments? Love God and love people. (See Matthew 22:37-39, 1 John 4:7-21, Luke 10:27)
Lepine sheds a whole new light on the “love chapter” 1 Corinthians 13. We often hear this read at weddings when the height of romantic love is in the air. But he digs deeper. He opens in the Introduction with, “Everybody wants to go to heaven. But nobody wants to die. The premise of this book is similar. Everybody wants marriage filled with love. But nobody want to die to self.”
Please read that again. Let it sink in.
As I said, I read a lot. Along the way there are some that didn’t make a great impression on me, however, there are those that I think about as I’m going through my day, sharing with others as a “must read.” This one falls into that category. It has given me great pause to stop and consider how I love people or don’t for that matter. People can be challenging…I can imagine you saying “Amen to that.” I hear you! But I’m people and you’re people too, right? I’m certain we’ve all been viewed as challenging to others as some point. I encourage you to get your hands on this book. Even if you consider yourself as someone who just isn’t a reader…it will be worth your time and your investment in your marriage and relationships.
Do you love like you mean it? Are you purposeful and choose to love or do you let the waves of feelings, disagreements or lack of grace dictate how you treat others? We live in a time when love is so desperately needed, hungered for, and defined in all the wrong ways. Let’s be the ambassadors of loving in the right way!
Because of Jesus,
Michelle Skillern