We were made by God to love and to be loved. We crave the intimacy, acceptance, security and significance that flow when we bond in mind, heart and body with a member of the opposite sex.
Advertisers and media target our emotional neediness, but avoid addressing the issue of lasting relationships. If we look at the end results of this media hype, the words “divorce, breakup, wounds, baggage, ex-mate, and abuse” are all too common in our relational vocabulary. Even in surviving marriages, the atmosphere often reeks of unhappiness and disappointment.” (Love, Sex, and Lasting Relationships by Chip Ingram)
Ingram states that “the world view, and our sinful lusts, has driven us to approach relationships in an upside-down fashion: “sex, parenting, maybe marriage, and probably divorce.” This is exactly opposite from God’s plan for us.
Relationships often occur for the wrong reason, primarily sex. “Hooking up” seems to have become the ultimate agenda of many young people and adults today. True love has lost its meaning. The goal seems to be personal satisfaction and immediate gratification with no regard for commitment or the welfare of others. We also tend to believe that a relationship validates worth, no matter how bad it may be.
It has been said that “what we believe, we behave…we are what we think.” Adults and children alike spend most of their free time watching TV programs and reading magazines and books that promote inordinate affection, promiscuity, adultery, lying, and cheating, all in the name of “love and romance.” We have become immune to what God calls “sin.”
Watching a TV show where immoral sex, infidelity and divorce are common does not compare to living it out in real life. It is one of the most traumatic experiences human beings can experience. Loss of trust, security, and self esteem to us and innocent others, results in wounded hearts that frequently remain unhealed for a lifetime.
God’s Word lovingly provides guidelines to help us avoid and/or recover from hurtful relationships. Learning to give and receive love as God intended is the first line of defense against a broken heart, and the foundation for lasting relationships. In order to have a joy-filled and peaceful life, we must avoid the world’s philosophy and implement these godly guidelines.
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