Doing something for someone you don’t like at a time when you would rather not deal with them just because it is the right thing is not the same as loving that person; it’s just doing the right thing. Trying to do the right thing, even repetitively so, does not mean that you are showing love. It just means that you are trying to meet a moral standard.
Love is a matter of the heart. Love is something that you have to really consider and challenge yourself over; do you really love them or are you trying to convince them that you love them? Do you love them? Or are you trying to convince yourself that you love them.
It is a hard line to discern; something that I will always wrestle with. I want Love to be my foundation, but sometimes I have to ask myself, do I really love the person I am dealing with, or am I just doing the right thing because it is right and it makes me feel good/accomplished/complete/better about myself? If my heart is not in the right place, then my most generous act is as selfish as hording food from hungry children holding out empty hands. I may make one moment better, but my impact lacks and I am still looking to serve myself first.
Just something that I was thinking about.
