Love in action

In his book Mere Christianity C.S. Lewis writes, “Do not waste time bothering whether you ‘love’ your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him.”

This can be a hard word for those of us who hold authenticity as our highest personal value. To never pretend, always speak our mind, and always give the unfiltered truth has become the pendulum response to inauthenticity. If you’ve suffered under the compulsion to “put on a good face”, or “fake it til you make it”, Lewis’ suggestion to “act as if you did” can feel repulsive.

Here’s the reality: We will often not feel love for one another, even when we ought to. We will be infuriated by our families. Our spouse will frustrate us. A boss will antagonize us seemingly on purpose. There will be people who are deeply enmeshed in our lives that are very unlovely towards us. The natural response is to reject those who we feel rejected by. This is the emotional equivalent of an eye for an eye.

In contrast, John 13:35 reads, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” This does not say, “As long as people are kind to you, show love to them.” Instead, this verse says, “This is how you’re going to be different, love people even when they are unlovely, then they’ll know you’ve got Jesus.”

Who are you being called to love today, even if they don’t deserve it?


John 13:35