Acts of love Quote by Timothy Keller
““In any relationship, there will be frightening spells in which your feelings of love dry up. And when that happens you must remember that the essence of marriage is that it is a covenant, a commitment, a promise of future love. So what do you do? You do the acts of love, despite your lack of feeling. You may not feel tender, sympathetic, and eager to please, but in your actions you must BE tender, understanding, forgiving and helpful. And, if you do that, as time goes on you will not only get through the dry spells, but they will become less frequent and deep, and you will become more constant in your feelings. This is what can happen if you decide to love.””
About This Quote
Marriage endures through low‑affect periods when partners act lovingly despite feeling distant, eventually restoring deeper feelings.
In simple terms: Love actions sustain marriage during emotional dry spells.
Key Takeaway
Act lovingly even when emotions wane.
Themes
marriage
commitment
love
emotional resilience
Mood
hopeful
empathetic
Type
advice
inspirational
When to use this quote
- relationship counseling
- marriage workshops
- personal growth
Key Concepts
covenant
behavioral psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you cultivate genuine love through actions?
- What habits reinforce lasting affection?
A Different Perspective
Actions may feel inauthentic initially.
![“24 A few pages later, Delbanco writes the following: [Alexis de] Tocqueville’s detection of a “strange melancholy in the midst of abundance” has a special salience today — because while we have gotten very good at deconstructing old stories (the religion that was the subject of my first chapter…” quote by Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/85a/timothy-keller-240_sad_24-a-few-pages-later-delbanco-writes-the_25320.jpg)
