Because we didn't get to cover everyone's questions on Q&A Day (December 28), we will feature "Question of the Week" for our blogs! That's fun, right?

Same rules:

I will answer what I understand is being asked, and...
I will give the short answer.

On to where we left off Sunday...

Since the Bible says clearly to love each other, if I am struggling with loving someone and asking God to fill me with love for that person, and am not quite there, should I just fake it or is there Biblically a way to handle this another way? One end feels like hypocrisy and the other disobedience.

I understand. You know the Bible says to love others, but you just aren’t feeling it with this person, so it can feel fake.

Good news: Love is a choice. There are different words for “love” in the Greek language (in which the Bible was written). One word is eros, that is hubba-hubba husband and wife love. Phileo is friendship love - affection you have for your BFF that you don’t have for the stranger in line behind you at Target. But the love of God, that He calls us to, is agape. That is choosing to love, choosing to put the other person’s need ahead of your own, self-sacrificing love. So you can choose to love someone even if you don’t feel like it by making choices to show love through your actions. As I heard James MacDonald say: Feelings are a lousy engine but a great caboose. You don't let your feelings lead you! But feelings do have a way of catching up when you are committed to making choices that honor God.

p.s. - phileo is where we get "Philadelphia" - city of brotherly love, it's called. Ironic, huh?