TRUE LOVE
As I began to
type the following excerpt from Leslie Ludy’s book Sacred Singleness, I realized what she was saying was
not just for singles…it’s for everyone. I believe we go through life looking
for people to fulfill something that only our relationship with the Lord can
fulfill. We get married and expect Mr. Right to satisfy something in us that he
is incapable of doing. In our relationships with our friends, parents, children
and siblings we do the same thing. I hope as you read this, it will help to put
your focus on the only one who can, does and will meet all of your emotional
needs.
….”But here is
the crucial truth that all too many of us miss in our quest for true love: Even
a God-scripted love story can never satisfy the way Jesus does. Even the most
heroic and Christ-like man on earth can never fulfill the longings of our heart
like the true prince and lover of our soul. And until we are able to truly make Him our first love, until we
are willing to give up our dream of an earthly love story for His sake, we will
never know the fullness of Him who fills all in all. We will always be looking
for a mere man to satisfy the desires of our heart, rather than to the one who
created us, who knows us better than we know ourselves, and who gave His very
life’s blood to rescue us.
“Jesus said, ‘If
anyone come to Me and does not hate his father, mother, wife and children,
brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My
disciple…whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple’
(Luke 14:26-33)
“As a single
young woman, these words of Christ were not the reality of my life. As much as
I hated to admit it, I had been clinging to my dream of an earthly love story
and letting it take first place in my heart, even above Jesus Christ-the Prince
of heaven and earth- who gave His life to set me free. I was so concerned with
my own happiness, so consumed with my own fairy-tale ideal, that I had forsaken
my first love….
“And until we are
content with Him alone, we aren’t truly ready for a romance that will stand the
test of time. Why? Because it’s all too easy to cling to a human instead of to
Jesus Christ. And when we cling to a human to fulfill the longings of our
heart, we quickly become discontent. Even the most Christlike man cannot meet
every need and longing of our heart. And if we expect him to, it only leads to
disillusionment. Countless women drive their marriages into the ground by
nagging, criticism and selfish demands because they do not find contentment in
the perfection of Christ, but expect perfection from their spouse instead.”
This is an excerpt taken from
the book by Leslie Ludy entitled Sacred Singleness. I found it very refreshing and encouraging. To
order it or to find out more about her and her husband, Eric’s ministry go to www.setapartgirl.com