Love and Action/Will
"Love is a choice, a choice we must go on making for the rest of our lives. To love is not to act on instinct but to set before ourselves God’s will and the needs of our neighbour…Love requires action; it does not hide away in the safety of the heart." (Father Spyridon Baily)
“Sometimes we must get involved in a messy or painful situation in order to help others. We should be willing to act immediately when others need our help.” (Life Application Study Bible, Genesis 14:14-16)
“…we are to live in Christ, in the way that He lived. We are to be walking “temples” of His love.” (Fr. Stavros N. Akrotirianakis)
“Though our lives consist of a thousand million tiny things, these are the things that matter. Love. Pray. Share your stuff. Be kind. Forgive your enemies. It matters.” (Father Stephen Freeman)
“Do not say that faith in Christ alone can save you, for this is not possible if you do not attain love for Him, which is demonstrated by deeds. As for mere faith: “The demons also believe and tremble” (James 2:19). The action of love consists in heartfelt good deeds toward one’s neighbour, magnanimity, patience and sober use of things.” (Saint Maximos the Confessor)
“Many think that love is a feeling, but this is not the case. It is a state of the will. If love were a feeling it would not be a commandment. Naturally, love is accompanied by certain feelings, but in essence it is a state of the will.” (Priest Daniel Sysoev)
"If you find there is no love in you but you want to have it, then do works of love, although they may have been begun without love. The Lord will see your desire and attempt, and will put love into your heart.” (Elder Ambrose of Optina)
"You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working, and just so, you learn to love by loving. All those who think to learn in any other way deceive themselves." (St. Francis de Sales)
"Love is a command, not just a feeling. Somehow, in the romantic world of music and theater we have made love to be what it is not. We have so mixed it with beauty and charm and sensuality and contact that we have robbed it of its higher call of cherishing and nurturing.” (Ravi Zacharias)
“Love comes ever more easily, naturally, and openly as we keep our heart and mind fixed on Christ our God...It need not be forced, gushy, or contrived.” (OCPM 2/9/2016)