To Love or Not to Love

“He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.”

Proverbs 21:21

I wheeled into the house the other day and had a very biblical experience — I felt like Jonah entering the mouth of the whale. The house stank of fish. My fisherman husband had caught twenty-two tuna. I glanced into the kitchen and saw my dishes pushed aside to make room for mounds of tuna filets. My heart sank when I noticed tuna blood dripping between the sink and the stove where no sponge can reach.

I knew what this meant. Tuna noodle casseroles. Fried tuna. Grilled, baked, and barbecued tuna. Souffléed and sashimied. Poached and pancaked. And the rest Ken would freeze for later on. My anger began to well.

That evening Ken barbecued his tuna, fixed his special sauce, cut lemons and parsley, and set my plate before me with a big smile. Even though I hate tuna and was still mad over the mess in the kitchen, I decided then and there that love is stronger than the smell of fish. As I forced it down, I realized it is far better to please my husband than to please my taste buds.

Love is lived out that way. Last-minute choices that decide for someone else. Quick decisions to lay aside differences and cheer someone on. Skin-of-the-teeth, under-the-wire bits of love that say “You mean a lot to me.” Always, love is a choice.

You come up against scores of opportunities every day to love or not to love. You encounter hundreds of small chances to please your friends, delight your Lord, and encourage your family. That’s why love and obedience are intimately linked—you can’t have one without the other.

I choose to love, Lord. I choose to obey. May the small things I do today tell others: “Jesus loves you.”