“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15:7)
A glimmer in the corner of your eye, an emotional twinge that captivates you, desire begins, and that desire breeds infatuation. A closeness is sought after, time spent together around the edges of reality, the rest of the world is left behind, single-focused, intentionally separated from everything you have known, and ever wanted to know.
But life will not be denied, the world does not silence its call, the repetition must be continued in, the sweat must be wiped off the brow. And that desire, that infatuation, that closeness dwindles, and your eye catches a glimpse of another desire.
Were these short, poorly written statements speaking of a young man or woman who has envisioned the love of their life, of one to whom they sought to give their heart to, and found that they were not being fulfilled after all? That her prince still needed to get up and go to work, that her castle was nothing more than another split-level home on a block surrounded by others of the same.
That infatuation is not a deep abiding love?
Or do they speak of those who only profess the Lord Jesus Christ with their lips, yet have deceived themselves into believing that they were truly in love in the first place? Going through the motions of love, yet never pining away every moment that they cannot be with the One they profess to adore.
“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” (2nd Tim. 3:5)
The divorce rate in many nations for those who say they serve the Lord is nearly as high as that of the wicked, and it matters not which party decides the love they envisioned is no longer there, what they wanted is no longer there, what they desired is not turning out to be what they expected, what they envisioned never truly came to fruition.
“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (2nd Cor. 13:5)
This self-deception is visible in nearly every church, on every social media site that is composed by those who attempt to glorify the Living God, many search for what they want, not what the Lord has to offer them, and when they do not receive their desires, they begin to search for fulfillment in the only other available place, the world.
Yet they still profess to serve Him, they still profess to love Him, they still pretend that He is Lord of their life. They go through the motions of love, not even realizing within themselves they denied that love years ago. They do not live for Christ, nor do they see death as gain.
These do not look forward, but back towards that which they once had, or thought they had, and that desire will be unmet for the entirety of their lives, for they will not do that which every married couple are to do for each other, die to self.
Love cannot be deceived my friends, true love sees all and understands full well when the return of that love is feigned.
“And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matt. 7:23)
Every single person that will hear those words, and hear this well, for it is truth, will believe themselves to have been saved in this world.
Infatuation is not love, love dies to self, the motions of love cannot be pretended upon.
Love understands love.
