I was working on this post yesterday but was unable to finish because I was busy with household duties. Then we went to spend time with a friend who lost her husband a few days before Christmas. Our visit lasted longer than we thought, but it was time well spent. She’s 51 years old, but met her husband when she was 17 years old. They were married for 33 years before his passing. My heart ached for her because she’s trying hard to deal with the loss and get used to a new normal with their two grown daughters and 2 grandchildren. They would be celebrating their 34th anniversary next month if he were still alive. Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and I understand she doesn’t really know how to feel. The T.V. commercials are hyping up the glamour of spending so much money on jewelry, flowers, candy, teddy bears, etc. As a society, we are so in love with the idea of ‘being in love”. I just celebrated 30 years of marriage a week ago. Through the years, my husband and I have come to understand there is a lot more to being married than just “being in love”. We enjoy a very close and loving relationship that has only gotten better each passing day by the grace of God.

Through reading God’s Word, we learned that love is a choice, not a feeling. I have some scriptures to share with you that prove this. Again, I want to give a heads up that I’m sharing scriptures from different translations of the bible. I also highlight the word love so it stands out.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23 (AMP)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.

2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)

⁷ For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7 (AMP)

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love
 and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control].

Proverbs 10:12 (NKJV)

¹² Hatred stirs up strife,
But love covers all sins.

Proverbs 10:12 (AMP)

Hatred stirs up strife,
But love covers and overwhelms all transgressions [forgiving and overlooking another’s faults].

Luke 6:27-36 (NKJV)

²⁷ “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. ²⁹ To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. ³⁰ Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. ³¹ And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.
³² “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³ And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ³⁴ And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. ³⁵ But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. ³⁶ Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

Luke 6:27-36 (AMP)

27 “But I say to you who hear [Me and pay attention to My words]: Love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies, [make it a practice to] do good to those who hate you,
28 bless and show kindness to those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
29 Whoever strikes you on the cheek, offer him the other one also [simply ignore insignificant insults or losses and do not bother to retaliate—maintain your dignity]. Whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either.
30 Give to everyone who asks of you. Whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.
31 Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.
32 If you [only] love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
34 If you lend [money] to those from whom you expect to receive [it back], what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners expecting to receive back the same amount.
35 But love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; for your reward will be great (rich, abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High; because He Himself is kind and gracious and good to the ungrateful and the wicked.
36 Be merciful (responsive, compassionate, tender) just as your [heavenly] Father is merciful.

1 Corinthians 16:14 (NKJV)

¹⁴ Let all that you do be done with love.

1 Corinthians 16:14 (AMP)

Let everything you do be done in love [motivated and inspired by God’s love for us].

Ephesians 4:2-3 (NKJV)

​¹ I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, ² with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, ³ endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

​Ephesians 5:1-2,25,33 (NKJV)

¹ Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. ² And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,

²⁸ So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.

³³ Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Ephesians 5:1-2, 25, 28-29, 33 (AMP)

1 Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father];
2 and walk continually in love [that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God [slain for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.
25 Husbands, love your wives [seek the highest good for her and surround her with a caring, unselfish love], just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,
28 Even so husbands should and are morally obligated to love their own wives as [being in a sense] their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself.
29 For no one ever hated his own body, but [instead] he nourishes and protects and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,
33 However, each man among you [without exception] is to love his wife as his very own self [with behavior worthy of respect and esteem, always seeking the best for her with an attitude of lovingkindness], and the wife [must see to it] that she respects and delights in her husband [that she notices him and prefers him and treats him with loving concern, treasuring him, honoring him, and holding him dear].

Galatians 5:13-14 (NKJV)

¹³ For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ¹⁴ For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Galatians 5:13-14 (AMP)

13 For you, my brothers, were called to freedom; only do not let your freedom become an opportunity for the sinful nature (worldliness, selfishness), but through love serve and seek the best for one another.
14 For the whole Law [concerning human relationships] is fulfilled in one precept, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, you shall have an unselfish concern for others and do things for their benefit].”

Colossians 3:13, 19 (NKJV)

¹⁴ But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.

Colossians 3:14, 19 (AMP)

14 Beyond all these things put on and wrap yourselves in [unselfish] love, which is the perfect bond of unity [for everything is bound together in agreement when each one seeks the best for others].
19 Husbands, love your wives [with an affectionate, sympathetic, selfless love that always seeks the best for them] and do not be embittered or resentful toward them [because of the responsibilities of marriage].

Thanks again for stopping by to join me in learn the truth from God’s Word about love. I hope to come back tomorrow to share more about biblical love. I would like to ask for prayers for my dear friend as she goes through this period of transition in her life. She knows the Lord, but is struggling not to be mad about her husband’s passing away.

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