The word love is a word that is way too easily tossed around and in most cases is used in correctly. People say things like I love pizza, or I love that car, or I love puppies but don’t really truly mean love as to what the word love actually denotes. Thereby we have watered down love and mistaken our lust for things to be love. If you look up both words in almost any dictionary you will find that they both in its barest form are described as an intense emotional feeling or attachment. I would say to you that the difference between these 2 feelings goes to not what you feel but what that feeling will cause you to do.
See lust desires to be fulfilled and be fulfilled to satisfaction. Its primary worry is what someone or something can do for me. How does this make me feel? The moment that the object of one’s lust stops fulfilling its desire to satisfaction is the moment that the desire to lust after it stops.
Love on the other had desires to fulfill and cause that fulfillment to be satisfying. Love doesn’t ask, what can the object of my love do for me? Love asks, what can I do for the object of my love? Love doesn’t ask, how does this make me feel? Love asks, how can I make the object of my love feel good (not just sexually but totally)? Love’s complete focus goes against natural instinct. Natural instinct is the law of self preservation but love’s instinct is self sacrifice.
One of my most hated questions in a relationship is why do you love me. I hate that question because if a person says I love you because you make me smile. Does that mean the moment I stop making you smile is the moment in which your love for me ceases? If it does you don’t love me you lust me. Remember lust craves to be fulfilled and worries about how you make me feel (i.e I love you because you make me laugh). But love craves to fulfill and desires to make you feel good. Love is self sacrifice, the object of your love (if it’s true love) you’ll die for. Are you willing to die for pizza or a car or a puppy. I’m not! So I don’t love those things, but I love my wife and daughter. I’d die for them and if push came to shove I’m not so saved I wouldn’t kill over them because when you try to hurt the object of my love I’ll sacrifice everything I got including my freedom to protect them.
So as I close I want you to ask yourself. Do you love your spouse, your mate or do you lust them? More importantly do you love God or do you lust God? Are you only loving God because of what He can do for you or do you love Him because of who He is? If your love is truly because of who He is, I challenge you to test it (because true love is always tested). I challenge you to keep His commandments. Feed the poor. Clothe the naked. The next time a homeless (or seemingly homeless) person asks you for some money to eat, give it to them and don’t worry about where it’s going and what they are doing with it. That’s not your concern. That is between them and God your job is to love them enough to do your part. If you don’t want to give them your money take them to get something to eat. Don’t give them a $1 bill, dig and bless them with $20. (OMG this guy is crazy!) No, I’m not crazy I just love God enough to want to see His heart glad. What makes his heart glad is seeing His people look out for others. The Bible teaches us that by our love we shall be known to be His disciples. Are you a disciple who loves God or are you a perp who lusts God. It’s time to get away from lust and move toward love!
For questions or comments please feel free to email me at jesse.jones@highpraiseministries.com. Grow in God’s grace and abide in His Love.
