Honoring God with a love for one another
by R. Douglass Mahaffey
Love's first kiss; some say it sometimes comes too soon. Other's say that it took long enough. God's standard for love is one that only comes one way, in purity. A daughter can wait forever it seems, for the first guy to sweep her off her feet and plant a big one on the smacker. It's once that first kiss has been given and taken that reality sets in and two people realize that there is a relationship to nurture.
It's kind of like a honeymoon after two people are married. Once the honeymoon is over, two people are slammed with the reality that there is a marriage to manage. God expects those who vow love to follow through with that vow as though it was the only commitment that ever really mattered in one's life. Marriage vows are exchanged, two people make promises to one another and God holds them to those promises for the rest of their life.
There are only two things in love that release a person from the vows they made to their spouse. One is the death that parts two lovers, and the other is the giving of one's self to another person other than who they are married to. From that point on, the person who was wronged by the offender has the right to choose another mate. The offender, however, is bound. If they ever choose another person, they again commit adultery and so does the person they choose. The Bible does say, however, that it is righteous for the one who was hurt, to forgive the offender and put their marriage back together again.
In a boyfriend/girlfriend situation, it is just as hurtful when one breaks up with the other for another person. God has a standard there too. In Romans 12: 1, 2, it says, "1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
In the event of a young girl's first kiss, it is very important for the young man in the situation to remember that the girl has waited for this moment her whole life, and it is a very special moment for her. She has grown from a very little girl watching "Cinderella", Sleeping Beauty", Beauty and the Beast" and "The Little Mermaid", and has fantasized about that first kiss as her Prince Charming dips her and gives her loves first kiss. She expects it to be just as special, if not more so.
In a lot of cases, most guys go tell their friends, high-five their buddies and sometimes even brag about it. This goes against every standard of God that one can imagine. Just like accepting Jesus into your heart, it is a very sacred moment and isn't to be taken lightly. It is actually the first step in them either becoming the man she needs him to be, or the jerk that breaks her heart. How he handles it is paramount in that he has either failed at his attempt in being God's gift, or he could succeed in making her God's precious gift to him. How this is handled will separate the men from the boys.
In a relationship where the two people are Christians, it is more important to please God in how they love one another, than to please each other. If they are attempting to please God and God is genuinely pleased, then they should have no other choice but to be pleased with one another. If one is focused on pleasing God, and God is pleased (you'll know it if He is), but the other person in the relationship just doesn't seem to be pleased by anything, then at least God is pleased and the other person needs to check themselves. They need to ask themselves what they entered into a Christ-centered relationship for in the first place. Some people would rather be right all the time than to just be happy. Those relationships have their warning signs and are easily recognized when they occur. They are also a dime a dozen.
Young love, first love, filled with true devotion only happens once. When it dies, that newness will never be experienced again. Sure, a new love will always come afterward, but the newness is never the same. If we present ourselves to one another the way God planned for us to in His grand design, that newness of young, first love can be experienced, felt and shared with one another every single day. Renew your hearts and minds to love one another as Christ loved us, and you'll feel that first love for the rest of your life.
Happy Valentine's Day,
R. Douglass Mahaffey - Founder and Publisher of The Wise Conservative
