"It was finally here - Anna's wedding day, the day she had dreamed about and planned for months. The small, picturesque church was crowded with friends and family. Sunlight poured through the stained glass windows, and the gentle music of a stringed quartet filled the air. Anna walked down the aisle toward David.
Joy surged within her. This was the moment for which she had waited so long. He gently took her hand, and they turned toward the alter.
But as the minister began to lead Anna and David through their vows, the unthinkable happened. A girl stood up in the middle of the congregation, walked quietly to the altar, and took David's other hand. Another girl approached and stood next to the first, followed by another. Soon, a chain of six girls stood by him as he repeated his vows to Anna.
Anna felt her lip beginning to quiver as tears welled up in her eyes. "Is this some kind of joke?" she whispered to David.
"I'm...I'm sorry, Anna," he said, staring at the floor.
"Who are these girls, David? What is going on?" she gasped.
"They're girls from my past," he answered sadly. "Anna, they don't mean anything to me now...but I've given part of my heart to each of them."
"I thought your heart was mine," she said.
"It is, it is," he pleaded, "Everything that's left is yours."
A tear rolled down Anna's cheek. Then she woke up.
----
In the world around us dating and breaking up is part of everyday life. Kids as young as elementary school say they're "going out" with someone, only to drop them (or get dropped) within the week. In high school it gets worse as people date for several months, giving they're all emotionally, and sometimes physically, only to be callously dumped for someone else.
Josh Harris says in the book, "...I've come to understand that God's lordship doesn't merely tinker with my approach to romance - it completely transforms it. God not only wants me to act differently, He wants me to think differently - to view love, purity, and singleness from His perspective, to have a new lifestyle and attitude."
The Bible says in Philippians 1:9-10, "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be purse and blameless until the day of Christ."
To really love someone with smart love, we use our heads as well as our hearts. Is it love when a guy pressures her to sleep with him, when he knows she will be forever emotionally scarred because of it? Is it love that a girl dumps her boyfriend, simply because she thinks she can do better?
"Smart love looks beyond personal desires and the gratification of the moment. It looks at the big picture: serving others and glorifying God."
Everyone else may be playing the whole "dating game", but we don't answer to them. We answer to God. Is your love life now pleasing God or yourself and the world around you? The Bible calls us to treat our brothers and sisters in Christ with absolute purity. Are you obeying that command in your life? "Let's make purity and blamelessness our priority before our all-seeing, all-knowing God."
Joy surged within her. This was the moment for which she had waited so long. He gently took her hand, and they turned toward the alter.
But as the minister began to lead Anna and David through their vows, the unthinkable happened. A girl stood up in the middle of the congregation, walked quietly to the altar, and took David's other hand. Another girl approached and stood next to the first, followed by another. Soon, a chain of six girls stood by him as he repeated his vows to Anna.
Anna felt her lip beginning to quiver as tears welled up in her eyes. "Is this some kind of joke?" she whispered to David.
"I'm...I'm sorry, Anna," he said, staring at the floor.
"Who are these girls, David? What is going on?" she gasped.
"They're girls from my past," he answered sadly. "Anna, they don't mean anything to me now...but I've given part of my heart to each of them."
"I thought your heart was mine," she said.
"It is, it is," he pleaded, "Everything that's left is yours."
A tear rolled down Anna's cheek. Then she woke up.
----
In the world around us dating and breaking up is part of everyday life. Kids as young as elementary school say they're "going out" with someone, only to drop them (or get dropped) within the week. In high school it gets worse as people date for several months, giving they're all emotionally, and sometimes physically, only to be callously dumped for someone else.
Josh Harris says in the book, "...I've come to understand that God's lordship doesn't merely tinker with my approach to romance - it completely transforms it. God not only wants me to act differently, He wants me to think differently - to view love, purity, and singleness from His perspective, to have a new lifestyle and attitude."
The Bible says in Philippians 1:9-10, "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be purse and blameless until the day of Christ."
To really love someone with smart love, we use our heads as well as our hearts. Is it love when a guy pressures her to sleep with him, when he knows she will be forever emotionally scarred because of it? Is it love that a girl dumps her boyfriend, simply because she thinks she can do better?
"Smart love looks beyond personal desires and the gratification of the moment. It looks at the big picture: serving others and glorifying God."
Everyone else may be playing the whole "dating game", but we don't answer to them. We answer to God. Is your love life now pleasing God or yourself and the world around you? The Bible calls us to treat our brothers and sisters in Christ with absolute purity. Are you obeying that command in your life? "Let's make purity and blamelessness our priority before our all-seeing, all-knowing God."
Posts
2 comments:
Great book review. I liked the story at the alter. It's a pretty high calling to make purity and blamelessness our goal but I know nothing less is acceptable.
Lord strengthen us to love what you love.
I love this book! And I absolutely love the way he begins it with the little story. Very riveting and attention-grabbing. :)
Post a Comment