THE WILL TO LOVE - Vital Christianity

91LOVE IS ALSO FEELING“I would rather experience love than know its definition.”–AnonymousThroughout our study on love we have seen how that love is not primarily a matter of theemotions, but of the will. Love is not something that just happens; it is something (Someone) wechoose. Our feelings must be servants of the will.But then, what part do our feelings play in love?First of all, we need to realize that God made us emotional creatures. Therefore we do notneed to ignore, fear or despise our feelings. Our personality is made up of will, intellect andfeelings. To deny any part of our personality is to be an incomplete person.When it comes to our emotions, like everything else, we tend to go to extremes. On theone hand is the person who is fearful when his pulse rate goes beyond 72 beats per minute forany reason, no matter how good. Any slight expression of emotions he automatically brands as“emotionalism.” In fact, he had a tendency not only to become suspect but even regard any greatemotional expression as being “demonic.”On the other hand is the person who is sustained only by a diet of highly emotionalizedexperiences. He is the “hypodermic saint” who lives on shots of religious excitement instead ofgrowing normally by food, rest and exercise. Unless he “feels” God’s presence he questions itsreality.A. J. Gordon once classified some church members as “figureheads, soreheads anddeadheads.” 1 As Vance Havner says, “He might have added ‘hotheads,’ of which there is alwaysan abundance.” 2 What we need are clear heads and warm hearts.While I do not believer it is possible to love God as well as people without showingaffection, I do believe it is possible to express “affection” without truly loving. Yet genuineaffection should be encouraged. Too many of our churches are “frozen together” when theyshould be melted together. Many of us need our hearts warmed.The Bible is hardly lacking for examples of people who freely expressed their love bytheir emotions as well as by their actions. Paul shares with the Ephesian elders, “Remember thatfor three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears” (Ac 20:31) Paul’sburden for these people was so great he could not refrain from weeping for them. I believe thatmuch of fruitlessness today is a result of “dry” eyes. The psalmist writes,“Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping,carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy carrying sheaves with him.”(Ps 126:5-6)