One of the most exciting discoveries of life…

Love is alive when it acts its way into a feeling, it's dying when it feels but doesn't act, (has emotions but it never does anything about them or when it acts but cannot feel, just routine, it never feels anything) and it's dead when it feels it's way into an action (when it says "I just do what I feel like"). 

Have you discovered the amazing truth that your actions tremendously impact your feelings?  By the way you act you can change the way that you feel.  That's one of the most exciting discoveries of life. 

Many times people come in for counseling about relationships, and this comment is often made, "I don't love him/her/my parents/my kids any more.  What's wrong with me?"  The advice that I always give to people in these kinds of situations is, "Begin to act like you love them."  The response is always "Act like I love them?  How can I do that?  How can I act like I love them when I don't feel like I love them?" 

So many times we get the cart before the horse.  The way that you act can change the way that you feel.  When you begin to act in kindness towards someone – compassion, tenderhearted, forgiving – with patience – it will change the way you feel about them. 

Here's GOD's advice to us about how to do that: I Corinthians 13:7 (NIV), "Love always protects [even when I feel like abandoning you, I will protect our love], love always trusts [even though I feel like hating you, I will learn to trust you], love always hopes [even though I feel like there is no future, I'll look forward to a future with you] and love always perseveres [even when every bone of my body says I want to run and hide, I'm going to stick through this with you]."  Love can act its way into a brand new way of feeling.

Just a thought from the front porch…