A True Story of a Warrior of Love: Love Is an Act of Will, Not a Feeling

We often hear the phrase jatuh cinta. In English, fall in love. This expression seems to imply that love comes unintentionally, like something that makes us trip and fall.

But is it really that simple for love to arise and endure? What does the true story of the struggle for love actually look like?

Let us unfold the true story of a warrior of love whose path was hard and winding. He was Hosea. A prophet taught by God to love in an unusual way.

The True Story of Hosea's Journey of Love

Hosea was a prophet who ministered in the Northern Kingdom during the division of Israel after Solomon's death. He lived in the final days of that kingdom, before the Israelites were defeated by the Assyrians and went into exile. The purpose of Hosea's calling was to warn the people of Israel to repent from the worship of Baal, the god of the Canaanites (Hosea 1:1-9).

God has many ways of speaking to His prophets. At times, God allows them to experience personally what He feels. Israel's spiritual adultery with Baal broke God 's heart, and He wanted Hosea to know how He felt. Therefore, God told Hosea to marry a prostitute.

“When the LORD began to speak through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea: "Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children of unfaithfulness, because this land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the LORD.” – Hosea 1:2

Try to imagine how Hosea felt at that moment. Surely awkwardness, anger, and disappointment were all mixed within him. He was a prophet, a man who feared God. By obeying this difficult command, not only would his reputation be damaged, but his dreams for the future would also be shattered. Hosea surely hoped one day to marry someone he loved, and of course someone who feared God. We who are not prophets still want a believing spouse, all the more so Hosea, right? Hosea's hardship did not end there. Through his wife, Gomer, Hosea had three children whose names were given by God. Of those three names, none had a good meaning. His first child was named Jezreel, meaning God would punish the house of Jehu for bloodshed and would also put an end to the kingdom of Israel. The second child was named Lo-Ruhamah, a declaration that God no longer had compassion on Israel. The third, Lo-Ammi, meant: you are not My people, and I am not your God. It is hard to imagine how Hosea felt when his children were given such names.

After getting married and having children, it did not mean that Gomer's natural tendencies and habits changed completely. She remained a promiscuous woman who liked going off with other men. This surely wounded Hosea's heart. Yet once again God taught Hosea to rise to another level in loving.

“The LORD said to me: "Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, just as the LORD loves the people of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes." So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver and one and a half homers of barley. Then I said to her: "You must live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or belong to any man, and I also will not have relations with you.” – Hosea 3:1-3

God told Hosea to love again the woman who had been unfaithful to him—that is the true story of the prophet Hosea's struggle for love. Not as easy as “I fall in love with you”, but a love that required much struggle and sacrifice.

What can we learn from Hosea's story?

1. Know Your First Love (Know Who Your First Love Is)

Who was Hosea's first love? Gomer? Another woman?

Hosea's first love was God. The only reason Hosea was willing to marry a prostitute like Gomer was because God commanded it. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for Hosea to choose such a heavy and painful married life. Because of his love for God, Hosea was willing to remain obedient in every situation.

Consider who your first love is: God or people? Now you know that Godis the one who should be your first love.

In life, we face many challenges involving our relationship with a spouse, our work, or our family. Yet when we have the right first love, namely God, we will be able to endure whatever situation we face.

2. Love Is an Act of Will, Not a Feeling (Love Is the Will to Love, Not Mere Feeling)

We may assume it was not easy for Hosea to love Gomer. Perhaps Hosea rebuked her many times before she went off with another man. Perhaps they fought bitterly every day, until at last Hosea gave up and let Gomer go wherever she pleased.

Yet after going through all that, God told Hosea to love his wife again. It not only drained his emotions and mental strength, Hosea even had to spend money to redeem Gomer. He paid a high price to get his wife back. Fall in love can come and go easily. “Because she is beautiful, I fell in love,” or, “Because we are no longer compatible, our relationship is over.” As easily as we fall in love, just that easily we can fall out of love. When someone has no strong reason to love, then that person stops loving. Hosea teaches us a different definition of love. Love is the will to love, not a passing feeling. Will here means the determination to keep loving, because love is a choice and a commitment. If we choose to love our spouse, whatever the circumstances, surely we can get through them together with God.

Love is patient; love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast and is not proud,... – 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

From the verse above, we know that love does not simply come naturally on its own, but needs to be cultivated and fought for. And, God will not give a command that His people are unable to carry out. If Hosea was able to go through it, we too will surely be enabled to face difficult times with our spouse.

The true story of Hosea's journey of love is indeed full of sacrifice and struggle, but it is not impossible. Are you able to keep loving even in difficult circumstances? Are you willing to persevere in facing people who are hard to love? If Hosea could do it, you surely can too!