True love involves a willingness to go above and beyond for the other person, regardless of the cost. It means surrendering ourselves and sometimes even going out of our way to bring them happiness. Others may often view our actions as foolish, especially when we love someone who doesn’t return that love. Yet, we continue to hope, enduring pain with the belief that, one day, they will notice us or reciprocate our feelings.

In today’s culture, the phrase “I love you” is used so often that it has lost much of its meaning. We say it without truly understanding or reflecting on what we’re expressing. All too often, we confuse love with fleeting attraction, driven by surface-level qualities, rather than the deep commitment love truly demands.

Love is not merely a feeling or an expression—it’s a choice. It requires discipline, responsibility, and sacrifice. Love means enduring pain, setting boundaries, exercising self-control, and showing respect. It’s a constant, unrelenting journey, never letting up. Love without these elements is like pouring water on a rock, expecting it to soak in.

In the same way, God feels when we claim to love Him, but our love is only expressed in words, with no corresponding actions. Just as love for another person requires effort, so too does love for God.

A good example is faith, which, without action, is dead. This is emphasized in James 2:14-24, which teaches that faith must be accompanied by deeds. Claiming to have faith means nothing if it isn’t reflected in how we live and serve others. Faith without works is not true faith—it is a hollow declaration.

 St James 2 vs 14 teaches that to say you have faith, you also need to work. 14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that-and shudder.

20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our Father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

To truly love God means to surrender to His will. We often speak of our love for God, but many of us aren’t ready to submit ourselves to Him, follow His commandments, or give up our personal freedom. The reason we fail to love others as we should is that we haven’t yet learned to love God fully. When we put God first, our lives are transformed. This love brings a deeper purpose and meaning, shaping our hearts and minds and empowering us to extend that love to others.

Loving God helps us see our flaws, understand our humanity, and gives us the ability to be kind and good to others. It’s not that we’re incapable of loving God—it’s that we often want to live without restrictions, forgetting that all actions have consequences. There’s so much hatred in the world today, and in our resistance to love God fully, we destroy the very gift He offers us: His love, which, when embraced, overflows to others.

God’s love is fulfilling, moving us to tears when we reflect on it. He is everything to us, and as such, we cannot truly love without commitment. Love requires discipline, maturity, self-control, and the constant resolve to nurture and grow it.