Faithful Fruit Series – Week 1
When Love Feels Less Like a Feeling
Love has surprised me.
Not the romantic kind. Not the friendship kind. But the kind that shows up in ordinary, unseen moments—the kind God cultivates deep inside you, often when you’re most worn out.
There was a week not too long ago when everything felt like too much. I had two toddlers needing everything at once, a teenager navigating her own world of emotions, and a to-do list that refused to shrink. Everyone had something to say or ask or cry about. And I—I just wanted quiet.
One night, one of my toddlers cried for the third time in an hour. I didn’t feel like comforting. I didn’t feel like being kind. I felt like disappearing under a blanket. But I got up anyway.
That’s the kind of love I’m talking about. The kind that doesn’t always feel good but is still good. The kind that moves even when you’re empty.
What Scripture Shows Us
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud… It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
— 1 Corinthians 13:4–7“Love each other as I have loved you.”
— John 15:12
There’s nothing passive about that kind of love. It’s not about being agreeable. It’s not about being liked. It’s about staying—with gentleness, with courage, with intention.
Jesus didn’t just feel love. He lived it—through sacrifice, through truth-telling, through quiet strength. That’s the kind of love I want to grow into.
What It’s Looked Like for Me
Lately, love has looked like offering my presence instead of a perfect answer. It’s looked like lowering my voice when I want to raise it. It’s looked like holding space for my teenager’s big feelings while two toddlers climb into my lap with cracker crumbs and chaos.
It’s also looked like not defending myself when I feel misunderstood at work. It’s looked like being patient with a coworker who rubs me the wrong way. It’s looked like reminding myself that everyone is carrying something I can’t see.
Love doesn’t always come easy. But that’s why it’s a fruit of the Spirit, not just our effort.
And love doesn’t just show up in my home or at work.
It shows up in conversations I didn’t plan for—with people who want answers, but also need gentleness.
When Love Gets Complicated
Since people have found out I have a degree in theology, they’ve started coming to me with questions—about the Bible, church, and what God says about certain things. Sometimes I feel ready to answer. Other times, I’m just trying to listen well.
One recent conversation started with someone saying, “There’s not enough preaching on sin anymore. It’s all prosperity and feel-good messages.”
I understood where they were coming from. But then the conversation shifted. They asked what I thought about LGBTQ identity—and why churches don’t speak out more.
That’s where it got harder. Not because I didn’t have a belief, but because I didn’t want to speak from a place of pride. I know how much grace I’ve needed. I know how often I’ve fallen short and still been met with love.
So I told them the only thing I could say honestly:
Hate the sin. Love the individual. I’m not in a position to judge—but I can reflect the love God has shown me.
Love that tells the truth—but doesn’t weaponize it.
Love without judgment.
Love without conditions.
Love without prerequisites.
We’re not called to dilute truth, but we are called to deliver it with grace.
To reflect Christ by loving people as they are—not just as we think they should be.
That’s what He did for us.
That’s what agape love still does.
A Quiet Invitation
So maybe that’s the question today—not just who we love, but how we love them.
With softness. With courage. With the same grace we’ve been given.
Maybe this week, love looks like:
- Saying less and listening more
- Choosing patience in traffic or toddler tantrums
- Forgiving without needing to be right
- Doing something kind without telling anyone you did it
You don’t have to feel loving to be loving. Sometimes the smallest choices carry the greatest weight.
A Prayer for Love
Lord, thank You for loving me so fully and so patiently. Teach me to love like that—not just in the easy moments, but especially in the quiet, costly ones. Help me reflect Your heart in the way I show up today. Amen.
Let this be a gentle reminder: You don’t have to feel strong to love well. You just have to be willing. God will take care of the rest.
Part of the 9-part series: Faithful Fruit. See all reflections.
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