We are born to love. You were created out of love. Even if your biological parents did not love you well, you would not have come into being without God’s love giving you life. The drive and desire to love someone intimately – and be loved in return – is the natural expression of your very nature. And that often leads to a Love Challenge.

Love is not always easy, especially when you get close enough to be married to someone. Sure, there are hormones and butterflies and fireworks – sometimes. But sometimes love hurts.

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”  ― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

It’s almost Valentine’s Day. Sure, all the superficial expressions and commercialization can risk cheapening love. But focusing on love is awesome! One of the best things about this season is not the flowers and candy, but the idea that love is more than a feeling. Love takes action. Love means giving.

And that’s never more true than in marriage.

I remember a Valentine’s Day when I was a medical student. All of us still-single women gathered together for a meeting of the Lonely Hearts Club. We joked around and tried to cheer each other up. But the feeling of being alone was hard.

You can feel alone even when you’re married. And that’s one of the most painful circumstances to be in. But waiting for your spouse to do something won’t fix things.

Whether or not your marriage is happy, why don’t YOU take some action?! YOU step up and risk loving well. As C.S. Lewis wrote (see above), loving is vulnerable. But the potential rewards are almost too good to be true.

We’ve created some simple and free resources to help you make Valentine’s Day something special this year.

Love takes action!

Right now you can download 7 Tips for Husbands and 7 Tips for Wives – essentially free and very doable Love Challenges to do every day for the week coming up to Valentine’s Day.

Not one of us can love well without receiving love from God. And He’s the only glue that can truly hold a marriage together. We’ll also send you a 7-day devotional email series leading up to Valentine’s Day, designed for couples to go through together.

Why not decide to begin your Love Challenge right now?

As the six-year-old girl said, “If you love someone, hurry up and show it!”

Your Turn: Are you willing to take the Love Challenge? What are you going to do to begin? Leave a comment below.

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• Love is a two-way street. Loving well can be a challenge! Here’s a free 7-day Love Challenge to get you going with some things YOU can do.   Tweet that.