Some get love from their parents, a boy friend/girlfriend, or even a friend. But even those who have astronomical numbers of friends and loved ones end up feeling lonely. Maybe they don’t feel lonely every day, but there will always be times where everyone feels lonely.
No matter the circumstances, the love we find in friends or family never seems to be enough. There is only one place where the love we desire can be found, and that’s in God.
So why do so many Christians still feel lonely and unloved?
Think of a relationship between two people. If person A loves person B, person B can still feel unloved at the end of the day because they don’t return that love. Just because person B doesn’t love person A back, doesn’t mean person A loves person B any less...it just means person B isn’t really in tune with the love that is being poured onto them. Everyone is familiar with the saying “love is a two way street,” so why don’t we always realize it’s the same thing with God.
Until we return that love, we don’t truly realize/notice how much love is being poured on us by God. So how do we love God? It’s not something that usually happens over night. Love takes time to develop. Think about it, to love your parents it was developed through this relationship you had with them growing up, to love a friend it probably developed through the good and bad times you’ve endured with them, and to love a girlfriend/boyfriend it probably developed over a process of getting to know them.
There’s a quote from a movie that I think simplifies the point I’m trying to get at. “Love is a process, it isn’t this big event.”
I’ve known all my life that God is all I need. But to believe that with my heart is completely different. There have been times in my life where my heart has realized that God is enough and I try my best to “fall in love with God” but what does that actually entail?
It’s one thing to decide to love someone, it’s another to work towards achieving it. So many of those times I had an epiphany and (re)realized God was all I needed. Because of this inspiring epiphany I expected to instantly love Him. But like I said before, it’s not something that just happens.
Another quote from the same movie: “Love isn’t always a lightning bolt, you know?.... Maybe love isn’t something that happens to you. Maybe it’s something you have to choose.”
The expression “fall in love” and “choosing to love” have two things in common. I want you to look at the first word in both of those phrases. Step back into English class and tell me what kind of English words “fall” and “choose” are.
They’re both verbs. Verbs identify that there is an action taking place. So why do we think that love can be instant? It’s not a cup of coffee. It needs more time and action put into developing it.
So how does one live their life and feel loved?
They need to recognize that there is only One who can fill that emptiness.
The good news....the One that can satisfy our desire to be loved already does love us! Now it’s our turn to recognize that and choose to begin this process of loving Him back so we can truly feel His love being poured out on us.
But how do you begin to love someone you can’t see or touch?
Just like your friends...begin a relationship. Get to know Him. Spend time with Him. Let Him live life with you by talking to Him and asking for advice.
He already loves you. It’s time to stop running away or sitting in a stagnant relationship with Him and turn that one way street into a two way street!
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