“I love you.”
Words that bring comfort, peace, and joy to our heart.
I have found, however, that sometimes our words can be hollow. Have you ever had someone profess to love you, yet you knew they didn’t really know you well enough to profess such affection? Or they declared their love for you, yet their behavior suggested something different? How about someone professing they were sorry for something they had done or said but never resulted in any change in behavior? Or how about ever hearing a quick, “praying for you” as someone turned to leave? Did it ever leave you wondering if their profession was genuine or just as empty as a conversation about the weather?
While words can bring comfort and encouragement, sometimes our actions have a bigger impact and underscore the sincerity of our sentiments.
Every February there is a heightened emphasis on expressions of love thanks to the celebration of Valentine’s Day. So, it seemed like a fitting time to explore other ways we could express love besides just declaring it verbally.
“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:18)
- Listen Without Interrupting – When we give someone our full attention, listen intently without interrupting or thinking about how we will respond, we show love by demonstrating that their concerns are a priority.
- Pray Without Ceasing – When we offer to pray for someone and we continue to do so until those prayers are answered, that demonstrates love by communicating that their concerns are a concern to us as well.
- Thanking Without Grumbling – anyone can find fault with situations, but it shows love when we can look past the discomfort or the frustration and instead of complaining, find something to be thankful for. That builds up rather than tearing down.
- Forgive Without Condemning – One of the greatest demonstrations of love we can offer is to forgive someone who has wronged us, and choose not to retaliate, condemn, or punish them in the process. True forgiveness means we no longer reserve the right to determine their fate, but we release them to God who will work in their heart for their good and His glory.
- Promise Without Forgetting – When someone makes a promise then doesn’t see it through to completion, it sends the message that they are not trustworthy and they don’t care enough for another to make them a priority. When we keep our promises, we demonstrate our love by proving ourselves trustworthy and committed.
- Speak Without Accusing – We can profess our love to someone but when we speak accusingly to someone, we place more priority on being right or proving a point than on caring for another’s feelings, self-esteem, or growth. Speaking without accusation is another way of sharing love without saying the words, “I love you.”
- Answer Without Arguing – While we cannot control what others say to us, we can choose our response. Engaging in an argument places a higher priority on being right than on respect and unity. So answering someone without arguing is another demonstration of love because it indirectly places another’s needs before our own need to prove our innocence or someone else’s failure.
- Give Without Expectation – When we give something, whether material goods, time, or affection to another, when we expect something in return (even just a certain reaction), it cheapens the gift and turns it into an “exchange.” Giving freely with no expectation for reaction or reciprocation shows selfless love.
So, while we have the opportunity to share love with our words, our actions back up those sentiments. How will you demonstrate your love to others this week?
Because of Him,
#LovePrevails!
(If you have a question you’d like Dr. B to answer, contact her here now. Your name and identity will be kept confidential.)
A short brief about Hope Prevails.
Hope Prevails
Insights from a Doctor’s Personal Journey through Depression
Dr. Michelle Bengtson
Speaking from personal and professional experience, a neuropsychologist unpacks what depression is, shows how it affects us spiritually, and offers hope for living the abundant life.
Neuropsychologist Offers Hope to Those Struggling with Depression
-By 2020, depression will be our greatest epidemic worldwide
- An estimated 350 million people worldwide suffer from some form of depression
- As with the bestselling My Stroke of Insight, the author experienced the same condition she treats
- Helpful features include personal stories, biblical truths, prayers, and music recommendations
In Hope Prevails, Dr. Bengtson writes with deep compassion and empathy, blending her extensive training and faith, to offer readers a hope that is grounded in God’s love and grace. She helps readers understand what depression is, how it affects them spiritually, and what, by God’s grace, it cannot do. The result is a treatment plan that addresses the whole person—not just chemical imbalances in the brain.
For those who struggle with depression and those that want to help them, Hope Prevails offers real hope for the future.
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Hello. This is a beautiful and helpful post. Thank you. 🙂
Great things to keep in mind.
Great advice!
Eight great suggestions!
Such great advice. Blessed to be your neighbor at Coffee for your Heart today!
These are seriously hard statements to flesh out! A great challenge. Thank you for sharing. Happy Wednesday, from the #TellHisStory linkup!
Megs
Oh goodness. which is the best? I have no idea. such wisdom! If believers could just learn to do one or 2 of them, how great of an impact would it make on our families, communities and world!
So wise and so practical. Friendship has been on my heart a lot lately, and these 8 ways are so vital to any relationship. Thanks for sharing, Michelle.
I do enjoy your tweets, and tweeted most of them. Give without expecting a return because that would be an exchange. So wise. Then I am reminded of the great exchange. I give Him my sin and He gives me his Robe of Righteousness. Thank you for sharing with us here at Tell me a Story.
All wonderful, Christ-like ways to show love! Thanks for sharing at Literacy Musing Mondays.
None of those are easy, but they are all beautiful demonstrations of love.
So wise and so well said.
Practical and Biblical helpful tips. Thx for sharing
Oh wow, this is so good in how to show love!!! I have had people say they love me and then stab me in the back the next moment. That isn’t love!!! But I love listen without interrupting, and the give without expectation (the Lord taught us that one and a Bible study I went to years ago, and the speak without accusing. All of them are so good and if done will result in that spouse or other person knowing that you truly love them. Oh this helps so much and just encourages me that we are doing things right and have some areas we need to work on. Thank you for always having such awesome helpful insights that all are according to God’s Word and TRUTH!! Love you Dr. Michelle!!
Karen, I’m sure there are many more things that could have been included on that list. But even if we make a concerted effort to consistently do one or two or three of these things, I think everyone around us will be much better off! I suspect you are doing more right than you realize, or you wouldn’t have so many people ask you to pray for them.