Love is more than a feeling. We may have feelings for a person on a sunny afternoon, but then reality kicks in the following day and then we feel differently. Feelings are fickle. They come and go. And then there’s this aspect of: “I love you more”, when there is rivalry of any kind. Love is no competition. Love is a lifestyle.

“You owe me one!” we hear sometimes when somebody went the extra mile and did something extraordinary to our benefit. Imagine God said that to you and me: “You owe me one!” after He sacrificed His Son. How would we feel about that? Thankfully, God does not think or say that. This is not who He is.

God is extremely generous. Pouring out His love is His daily habit. He simply goes above and beyond, which is why He owes us nothing. If we have trouble believing that, it’s mostly our perception of Him that gets us in trouble. A tainted view of God will taint our view of pretty much everything. We will also have a tainted view of love.

Looking at God’s habit of loving every person on this planet, that’s the lifestyle of love Paul talks about in his letter to the Romans. There are no checks and balances when it comes to loving people. To love is as natural as to breathe. Not to love is as unnatural as not breathing. Actually, not breathing kills us – just as much as not loving kills our spirit.

To love or not to love is really not the question. Ultimately, it’s easier to keep on loving than to keep on hating, because if we hold on to a grudge we only hurt ourselves. God’s Spirit will breathe meaning into this four-letter-word that has been misinterpreted and abused ever since there is people. Love is really not that complicated, but it’s sometimes hard to do. I don’t think it was easy for Jesus to love His enemies. He loved them anyway.

Love is a lifestyle choice. It’s not hard to find God if we choose this lifestyle, and it’s not hard to love when get to know Him.