Fluffy Love Isn't Enough

What is love?  Romance, family closeness,  forever friendship?

What does it look like?  A soft sweet kiss, a lingering embrace?

What does it feel like?  A yummy warm sensation like melted chocolate?

I'm afraid that when we think love, we think a little too FLUFFY. 

Don't get me wrong. I enjoy fluffy love - snuggling on the sofa with my boys, kissing my husband in the firelight. Fluffy love is....well, lovely.

But fluffy love is not enough. And sometimes love doesn't feel lovely at all, (Click to Tweet)

We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters..... let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:16,18

Love Gives - OUCH! This can be uncomfortable. The kind of love that changes the world makes huge sacrifices. I don't always want to love like that. I risk my easy existence and give up my cozy life to love like God loves. 

Love Acts - We say "I love..." such a broad spectrum of things. I love puppies. I love pizza. I love people too. But it's not enough to say love, especially when it comes to people. I'm not suggesting we stop expressing love with words or speech but we gotta back it up with ACTION! And follow through is hard. 

• I can say I love my husband, but do I demonstrate that love by respecting him as a provider, caring  for our home and managing our resources well?
• I tell my boys I love them, but am I willing to change my plans to sit and play Minecraft, or watch funny videos on Youtube, again?
• Do I love my friend enough to show up at her house and deliver dinner when she is hurting?

Love Operates in Truth - Truth is not always pretty. Sometimes operating in truth means confronting a destructive habit. And that can feel really horrible. It's far from fluffy for the confront-er or the confronted. Regardless of how it feels, loving in truth always brings freedom.

Fluffy love is wonderful and I'm grateful for it. But hard, uncomfortable, truth-speaking love is what rescued me.  (Click to Tweet)

Have you experienced hard, strong love that didn't feel like love in the moment? How did it rescue you?