Something my wife and I say on a daily basis is “I love you!” It happens many times every day. Often times as we are driving somewhere, Cheryl will say, “You know what?” and I will dutifully ask “What?” She will then reply, “I love you.”

Once we were on vacation. We had spent a few days in Savannah, Georgia and were making the drive up to Charleston, South Carolina. As we were taking in the sights, she asked, “You know what?” I thought I was one step ahead of her so I replied, “You love me?” to which she quickly said, “No, that’s not it.” That was not what I was expecting to hear! And that was not what she meant, either. She quickly said that she did indeed love me but that she was trying to tell me something else at that particular moment.

More important than simply saying those words to each other is the expression of that love. Love is not merely a feeling or something you talk about. Love is what you do. It is good to verbalize, but it is even more important to live. In marriage, love is shown in many ways. An act of tenderness. Doing a chore you don’t like to do because you know your spouse hates doing it, too. A hug and a kiss. Putting the needs of the other person ahead of your own. Spending time together. Being understanding. Not demanding your own way.

Love is an action. That is true whether you are talking about a marriage or a friendship or how we should treat other people in general. It is also what God has done for us. In 1 John 4 we read the words “God is love.” The one who made us did not simply say those words. It is who He is and what He does.

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. (1 John 4:9)

The sacrificial love of Jesus paid the penalty for your sins so that you could have eternal life. He gave Himself to death so that you would not have to die eternally. He put your need, the need forgiveness, ahead of everything else in His life. He loved you.

The One who is love desires you to follow His example. He said, “Love each other as I have loved you”  (John 15:12). Let’s try to do that.