For most people, love is something that gives you pleasant feelings. It is about following where your desires lead. It does not require discipline or rules, because you do not need anything to motivate you to follow where your heart leads. However, the follow-your-heart type of love tends to be something that wears off after a while. In the first chapter of his second letter, John writes about a different type of love.
I am delighted to have found some of your children living in the truth, just as we have been commanded by the Father. Now, dear lady, I ask that we love each other. This is not a new commandment which I am writing for you, but one which we have had since the beginning. Love means that we should live according to his commandments. This is the commandment which you have heard since the beginning, and you should obey it.
It seems odd that John refers to “love” as meaning that we should live according to God’s commandments. Most people would not think that obeying the traffic laws is the same sort of thing as love. But then again, love does mean doing things to please the person that you love, and what better way is there to show your love for God than to live in accordance with his will?