Chuck Alley of "The Living Church" writes a short description of love

"There is not anything self-serving about God's love. God's love is not an emotion--a good or warm feeling that God has when he thinks of us--because God's love is not emotional but rational. Love is the essence of God. The supreme illustration of God's love as an enacted love is found in John 3:16 . . . . We learn that God's love was manifested in his giving for the good of everyone, regardless of whether they chose to receive the gift. . . . The love of God was revealed to us through his actions. Those actions are taken for our good and without any expectation of return. Love at its heart is an act of grace. It is not dependent upon the worthiness of its target, but simply the need of those on whom it is lavished. In addition, the quality of love is not measured by its effect upon the recipient, but rather on the intent of the lover. Love is not expressed, however, as a kind thought or good feeling toward another. It is an action taken for the best of the neighbor. If we want to love, then we must act. If we wait until we 'feel' love before putting love into action, then it is unlikely we will ever get around to loving. The rational nature of love is revealed by the fact that if we continue to act in love toward other people, we will ultimately find ourselves feeling love for them. Thus, it is not impossible for us to love our enemies or those who persecute us. In fact, love has nothing to do with liking someone. To love is to practice doing what is best for the other person--without any expectation of personal return." (Feb. 16, 2025 p. 40)