Is Love Really Enough?

We have all heard the expression, "Love is enough". That expression captures a woman's heart, many women have had those exact words tattooed on their bodies to remind them that love is enough.  But is it?

For this discussion, I have to start by saying, that I believe there are two meanings to the word "love".  The first meaning is the emotion of love.  It is perhaps the most commonly accepted and thought of meaning when we say the word "love".  It is the heart pounding, time slowing phenomenon that we experience when we are near another soul that matches ours perfectly.  It is a wonderful emotion that has the power to transform hearts, make us more successful and change our lives; and when it wanes, it has the ability to crush a heart, break a soul and make life dark.

That is just the problem with this type of love.  It is wonderful, and can lift us to great heights.  We are right to embrace it, chase it and desire to experience it.  However, it is an emotion, held by imperfect humans.  This means that the emotion of love will wax and wane.  No matter how deeply we love another soul, there will be times we feel the emotion more deeply and times we feel it less or even not at  all.  This is how many relationships fall apart, disintegrate or dissolve.   Our emotions are meant to fluctuate, its how we experience the world. Given this meaning of love, I would say that love is not always enough.  Need proof?  Talk to any married couple, or any couple who has been devoted to each other for many years.  What you hear are stories of forgiveness, compromise and sometimes just fighting to make it work.  Many of these couples say it is hard work, and not love that kept them together.

That brings me to the second meaning of the word love.  Love is not only an emotion, it is also a verb.  We love one another when we care for each other, when we are able to put ourselves second and others needs above ours.  When we feed the hungry, shelter those in need or reach out to another soul who is hurting, we exhibit love.  It is not a feeling, but actions.

This love is much more difficult, primarily because it puts us in a vulnerable position, sets us up to be hurt and takes great sacrifice from us.  When those couples who have been together , devoted to each other, for years speak of compromise, forgiveness, and hard work-that is love.  It is not the feeling, it is being prepared to dig in, get our hands dirty and do the work needed to make another person a priority.

This is the love we were created to experience.  God created us to love Him and one another.  We are relational creatures who benefit greatly from showing love to others.  Research shows that those who give the most, feel more satisfied with their own lives, feel less stress and accomplish more than those who give less.  The Bible is full of verses encouraging us to love one another, to give to others generously.

It is the kind of love that takes great courage but it is, and always will be, enough.  So yes, dear friends, Love is enough-if that love is action and not emotion.