What is love? A lot of people think love is a strong emotional feeling toward another person. That may be true to some degree, in human terms.

The love the Bible talks about most often is a genuine interest in the well-being of our neighbor, which we express by what we do, not by what we feel (1 John 3:18). And since this love is expressed by our actions, it encompasses more than just a feeling.

The Bible tells us that God is love (1 John 4:8, 16). His law as summarized in the Ten Commandments shows us the actions that demonstrate love toward others – first toward God (as expressed in the first four of the Ten Commandments) and also toward our neighbor (as expressed in the last six of the Ten Commandments).

When Jesus Christ was asked to name the greatest commandment, His response was: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40).

Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6, verse 5 and Leviticus 19, verse 18. These two commandments summarize the Ten Commandments and the entire law of God, since all other directives of God are derived from these two great commandments.

Are the Ten Commandments primarily about our feelings? No, they are primarily about what we do, about our actions in demonstrating love toward God and our neighbor.

Godly love is primarily an action verb!

With these thoughts I wish everyone a rewarding Sabbath!