How to Find the One True Love You Need
For me, it had been the search of a lifetime. Was it growing up in America or could it be a worldwide phenomenon? The fairytales of Cinderella, Snow White, and happy ever after called to my heart like a beaconing light of hope. Deep in the central core of my heart there was that aching need to be loved, a void that needed to be filled. Much like the Samaritan woman at the well; that search for love had left me thirsting, until I found the truth.
“13 Jesus answered her, All who drink of this water will be thirsty again. 14 But whoever takes a drink of the water that I will give him shall never, no never, be thirsty any more. But the water that I will give him shall become a spring of water welling up (flowing, bubbling) [continually] within him unto eternal life” (John 4-AMP).
DESPARATELY NEEDING LOVE
We were created to be the recipients of God’s love: to be filled to the overflowing so that love would then bubble forth from our hearts.
[bctt tweet=”That void within the human heart-that desparate need for love can only be filled by God’s love”] Sin had separated us from God; yet, God sent Christ to be the atoning sacrifice that we might be redeemed into fellowship with Him. He fills our hearts with the only love we ever really need. Not the only love we will ever know; but, He is the only love we will ever need. You see, need love is always looking for someone else to fill our hearts. Need love searches for validation. Therefore, until need love is filled a person cannot truly feel or give love. In the desperation of need love we find our hearts broken over and over again without even understanding why. Loneliness, feelings of worthlessness, and feelings of
failure can fill the minds of those who continue to search for that which can never fill the void. Much like the Samaritan woman who went to draw water all alone in the middle of the day; not when anyone else would. Her own feelings of worthlessness are again shown when she humbly says, “How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria?” (John 4:9).
“Need-love cries to God from our poverty; Gift-love longs to serve, or even to suffer for, God; Appreciative love says: “We give thanks to thee for thy great glory.” Need-love says of a woman “I cannot live without her”; Gift-love longs to give her happiness, comfort, protection – if possible, wealth; Appreciative love gazes and holds its breath and is silent, rejoices that such a wonder should exist even if not for him, will not be wholly dejected by losing her, would rather have it so than never to have seen her at all” -C.S.Lewis.
CAN A CHRISTIAN KNOW THIS LONELINESS?
Knowing Christ as one’s Savior and being filled with the Holy Spirit should prevent that kind of loneliness; but, unfortunately too often we as Christians are not aware of what we possess in Christ. We jump out of bed, rush off to work or school with little time to spend with the one true love we need in our lives. God loves us with a burning, everlasting love. “17 The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing” (Zephaniah 3). I can only tell you with certainty, my case. Your case may be different and if you are lonely, I urge you to spend time alone with the one who loves you more than you will ever need of love-God. In my case, I was able to love others in part because of the overflowing love of God in my heart. Mercy and compassion were inside me; even when I could not understand. Unfortunately that lead me to sometimes confuse mercy and compassion for love. Indeed, mercy would see someone hurting or broken and rush in with love to try to repair them. Then, confused by their inability to give love in return; I would be hurt and feel broken myself. It took many years of growing in the faith for me to learn the truth about love. God has been so gentle and patient as He guided me along this path, teaching me every step of the way. He is the only Love I will ever need. Now that I know that, I can truly love without needing to be loved.
THEN WHAT ABOUT OTHER LOVE?
That is the most amazing part about discovering the truth of love. [bctt tweet=”The fountains of love from God bubbling up like a spring inside, frees me to love others unconditionally.”] It also allows me to recognize the difference between mercy love and genuine love. Genuine love can see the beauty, the grandeur of the one loved without ever “needing” to possess them. Indeed, it loves in a way that only wants what is best for the beloved, no matter what. Oh, yes I believe in love. I believe in lifetime loves, the happy ever after, and the walks at sunset hand in hand. I rejoice at all who have that and encourage you to cherish it if that is you. Lay aside your need. Let the need for love be filled by God, so that you are able to truly love the one He gives you to love. If, as I, He chooses that you live alone; remember this, you are not alone. He is right there with you. His love is all I need; yet, I am blessed with family to love and dear friends whom I adore. They remind me of God’s love for me always. I can truly cherish every moment spent with them because it is God’s love who fills my heart to overflowing.
“In God there is no hunger that needs to be filled, only plenteousness that desires to give.” C. S. Lewis
CONCLUSION
God is the only true love we need; yet, because He loves us we are free to love. We can love even though we know that makes us vulnerable; because, we know God can mend the broken heart.
In the words of C.S. Lewis, “There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket — safe, dark, motionless, airless — it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell. I believe that the most lawless and inordinate loves are less contrary to God’s will than a self-invited and self-protective lovelessness…We shall draw nearer to God, not by trying to avoid the sufferings inherent in all loves, but by accepting them and offering them to Him; throwing away all defensive armour. If our hearts need to be broken, and if He chooses this as a way in which they should break, so be it. What I know about love and believe about love and giving ones heart began in this.”
[bctt tweet=”Prayer is the key to genuine bubbling fountains of love”]
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Listen to this song…..Imagine Me Without You
The artist that drew the picture “A Broken and Contrite Heart” featured on my header Please go to his website ( http://www.barba-art.com) for information regarding obtaining copies or to commission him to create a masterpiece for you. In fact, if you email him today with the words GIVE, he will give you a 50% discount. Our secret, shhh. Feel free to email him at Ron@Barba-Art.com to discuss any art projects.
Amplified Bible (AMP)
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©2015 Effie Darlene Barba
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