“Love is not what you say. Love is what you do.”
Love—a word so frequently spoken, yet so often misunderstood. We hear people say “I love you” easily and often, but what does it truly mean to love someone? Is love simply a feeling or an emotional high? Or is it something deeper, more enduring—something that must be proven by actions?
Many people “talk the talk,” but very few truly “walk the talk.” It’s easy to say the words, but harder to back them up with commitment, kindness, patience, self-sacrifice, and faithfulness.
Being in Love vs. Loving Someone
To be “in love” is often an emotional experience—full of excitement, chemistry, and desire. But loving someone goes far beyond emotion. True love is not self-centered; it is not based on convenience or fleeting feelings. Instead, love is willing the good of the other, even at a cost to oneself.
“Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” — 1 John 3:18
This verse captures the heart of the matter: love is revealed through action.
Look at What They Do
When someone tells you, “I love you,” don’t only listen to the words—observe their actions. Do they show up when you need them? Are they patient and kind? Do they respect your dignity and well-being? Or do their actions contradict their words?
* “If someone says they love you, see what they do—not just what they say.”*
Love isn’t about grand declarations. It’s about consistency. It’s in the little things—a thoughtful gesture, a word of encouragement, a shared silence during hard times. Love is in the doing.
Love Is a Choice
Ultimately, love is a choice. A choice to care, to forgive, to be present, to give without expecting. It’s not a feeling we fall into or out of, but a decision we live out daily.
As St. Thomas Aquinas once said:
“To love is to will the good of the other.”
And that’s the truest test of love—not how often it is spoken, but how well it is lived.
A Final Reflection
Ask yourself: Am I showing love through my actions? And when others profess love to you, take a moment to quietly consider if their lives reflect their words.
Because love is not what you say.
Love is what you do.
A Short Prayer
Lord, teach me to love not just in words but in truth and action. May my heart be gentle, my hands be helpful, and my presence a reflection of Your love. Help me to give selflessly, forgive freely, and walk humbly with those You place in my life. Amen.
