Love

[Blev]

Christ wouldn't ask you to do something you were not able to do. Love is NOT a fleeting emotion.

That's just what I was going to add. Love is not a feeling.

Too many times people base their decisions on a feeling and that gets them in trouble. Love is a decision. The Lord told me that one time. If I decide to love someone, HE will help me and then the feelings will come, based on doing what He said.

That was a great post

 

[Fedusenko]

Can I point out that God has already given you the tools to achieve that? Don't get me wrong, it isn't something that just switches, but your body recognizes when you invest your time and energy into something and will create a chemical reaction to stimuli such as if it were attacked, your body pumps adrenaline. Your body will produce endorphins while you nurture it, or it nurtures you in return. The only crumby part is that your body doesn't know what are good attachments to make and which are not so good ones. That job is for your mind.

 

[Aardverk]

......... Most of all, it is simple. Love is the intentional, selfless action to benefit another. Sometimes it means that it is just second nature, other times it means that it is very deliberate. .......

I think we now agree that it is not a simple matter:yes

We do agree that love is putting someone else first/ selflessly trying to make their life better. One could however sacrifice oneself for the sake of others on a logical basis which is not love. Deliberately crashing a plane in a field rather than letting it crash in a city - for example.

The other aspect you touched on is the biochemical cause. Someone will probably correct me but it is a very complex matter of phychoneuroendocrinology involving dopamine, neutrophins, oxytocin, endorphines and alteration of testosterone levels (up in women and down in men). 'We' can actually induce the feelings of love in someone artificially - but that is getting well of the point. It's amazing how complicated God made our brains.

Love - a very good question! :love2