How Can You Tell if It's True Love?

Months ago in a piece titled, "The Hormonal Choice" I wrote about the "love cocktail" of hormones which generate the feelings we so often associate with love. (Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at http://2knowthetruth.blogspot.com ). True love cannot be reduced to feelings alone. True love is a lot deeper than feelings and remains when feelings are absent. For example: During a crisis we become absorbed with the circumstances around us which, in turn, control our feelings. The death of a child often ruins a marriage because the feelings of grief overwhelm the feelings of love for the spouse.

True love exists even when there are no "feelings" of love present and actually it is during these times that the evidences of true love are on full display. What then are the evidences of true love?

"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." The New Testament 1 Corintians 13:4-8

If you think deeply about the above quote, you will notice that true love, rather than being a "feeling" is demonstrated by choices we make and actions we take. We can say that LOVE IS A CHOICE to act in a certain way whether or not loving feelings are present. It's easy to say, "I love you". A bit harder to prove it by what we choose to do and say.