Love, Lust or Infatuation?

So what was God's original plan as regards relationships from the beginning? Was it love, lust or infatuation? I'll tell you what:

it was definitely love.

Understand this: the commandments of God are not arbitrary. They do not forbid good, clean fun; rather, they warn us against destroying ourselves through unwise actions or running ahead of God’s timetable. While in that relationship with that person, as long as you are not legally married, you are not permitted to engage in sex. Pure and simple. There is no such thing as ‘safe sex’ for unmarried couples.

God's original plan has never been for you to lust after someone, or to be infatuated with someone. The truth is, the more nearly you come into harmony with God’s original plan – which He had when He placed the man and his wife in the Garden of Eden – the more favourable will be your position to secure health of body, and mind, and soul and spirit.

Imagine a state of absolute wholeness; where you have all you ever wanted and needed, all you ever dreamed of; where you are never sick, or stressed out; never feeling any negative emotion like anger, hatred, jealousy and the like; where these things never even cross your mind! Well, this, and so much more, was how and what God created Eden for to be. This was the life before Genesis Chapter Three. I will be writing more on this one of these days.

Let love guide you into and throughout that relationship – love as seen and desired by God for you – not lust, not infatuation. Joyce Meyer once said, “Let emotions subside; then decide.” Why? Because your feelings will always follow your decisions.

Your emotions must not rule your decision to show love. You should be in charge of those emotions and know why you love. If you are not in charge, your emotions would dictate to you what you don't want. You must always remember that love is a principle of action rather than of emotion. It is a purpose of honouring and benefiting your future partner. It is a matter of doing things for him or her out of compassion for his or her need.

Love is forgiving. It is beyond measure. It is sacrificial. It is eternal. It is inexhaustible. It is selfless giving without thinking of taking. It should go against our natural inclinations. It is by their active love towards one another that Jesus’ disciples are to be recognised:

I give you a new law: Have love one for another; even as I have had love for you, so are you to have love one for another.

BY THIS IT WILL BE CLEAR TO ALL MEN THAT YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES, IF YOU HAVE LOVE ONE FOR ANOTHER (John 13:34-35, Bible in Basic English, emphasis mine).

 

So love should be the unifying force and the identifying mark of the Christian community. But, sadly, in most cases, this is not so of us.

Love is the key to walking in the light; and when a couple is devoid of the kind of love here described, then they are in darkness – and how great is that darkness!

Love opens up doors hitherto closed both to the other and the giver, bringing about a sense of contentment and satisfaction.

It is possible to practice this love only if God helps you set aside your own desires and instincts, so that you can give (in) love while expecting nothing in return. For this to even happen in the first place, you need to give yourself to God. Thus, the more you become like Christ, the more will His kind of love be birthed in you; and this will keep you chaste for Him, and for your future spouse. Indeed, your growing relationship with God will result in a growing relationship with your future spouse when you find him or her. You need Him today!

This is clearly a pointer to the fact that God is in the equation and you cannot eliminate that. If it must work for you, if you must do it well, He just has to be. You ask how? I'll show you how the next time I come your way. God bless!