Recently, while waiting in line to buy a drink at a gas station, I noticed a tattoo on the back of a girl’s neck. The tattoo read, “Love is a gamble.” Sadly, this sentiment is expressed by many. Fortunately, the love to which this tattoo refers is not the same with which our Creator loves us.

The world foolishly clings to a love that solely relies on feelings. In this sense, love is truly a gamble. However, the love that is emphasized in the Bible is independent of outward circumstances, subjective reasoning, and feelings. It is an acting love motivated by the value of a soul. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). This “love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8).

Love is not a gamble. On the contrary, it is a guarantee. “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’… ‘do this and you will live.’” (Luke 10:27-28).