Next Post: Infatuation...

Infatuation: The state of being carried away by unreasoned passion or love.

Understanding the Difference Between Love and Infatuation

We are Christian Women

      I am fully woman and fully Christian. Woman in the truth that I was created to love one man. Christian in that my first love is Christ. Created and continually designed to honor, worship and serve Him as my creator, my king, my everything. The difference of infatuation vs. Love is a common topic that comes up in both the secular and saved world but Christian women should have a love that looks very different than women of the world. We as saved women have been given a very authentic, loyal, sacrificial gift of spreading love to all. Our hearts have been created to mimic that of Christs. His Holy Spirit has placed his home within that very tender vessel known as our hearts. We are divinely designed with the intention of loving, nurturing and giving all of ourselves. 

    Christ created us with the emotions of attraction. He created us to be spiritually, physically, intellectually, mentally, sexually and emotionally attracted to the opposite gender--- that's not of question. The question lies in how do we discern between Love and Infatuation?

    This question came to my heart as I have been becoming closer to a man who God has allowed me to become closer with. Ladies... He's a man after God's own heart. He loves sharing his love for his Savior Jesus. He's proactive! The leader of the music ministry in his church. Daily striving to get closer to God as he has shared with me many time. We are friends... But I allowed myself to think we were more. I made the mistake of placing expectations over his pursuit of me. And as I spoke to God about this, I began to wonder just why I am so attracted to this man? We are in two different worlds. But why?

    I believe that there is a such thing called 'spiritual yearning'. I would find myself wanting to hear from him daily regarding what God was doing in his life. I wanted to hear the voice of this man share with me how God was moving his heart. Lord knows my desires were pure... but I began to long to know him more and more.... and when I didn't receive the daily texts or calls, I felt as though my attempts at wanting to get closer were stopped by a big red sign that said "I'm busy"....

A Yearning for God- Our Creator

   Yearning for something so pure. So good. Can unfortunately turn out to be more of a sin than not. I thank the Lord that He caught me before I moved into idolization.... but I still had to ask the question "Lord, but why was my yearning so strong?" Infatuation vs. Love.... I was very much so infatuated with being with this man. Hearing his voice (this was the biggest). With laughing and enjoying our time. But more than that, I was in love with the God in him... and my mistake was this: Confusing the person my heart was honestly yearning for. I, in my very limited life, thought that it was the person that was the attraction of my heart, but in all reality, I'd misunderstood the person that my spirit was yearning and reaching for! It was Christ! It is Christ :) Ladies, our longings should be so much more for the hidden person, which should be Christ, which indwells the person you're being pursued by. The person you marry. Don't get me wrong... you should be in love with the person in whom you marry, but Christ should be so evident that your ultimate drawer is the person within them. Either it will be satan or Christ Jesus. You will know! Pray for discernment! Don't let this world pressure you to rush into anything!

Our Response

   Infatuation:

• Feelings of intense desire that change with each situation/circumstance
• You are in it for what you can get
• You treat the other person as an object or thing
• You enjoy the title or the feeling the most
• You're unable to reason clearly
• Reckless
• Controlled by hormones
• Unable to give the other person space
• Insecure/Jealous
• Often considering the now. Not gradual
• An emotion
• Fueled by passion/lust

   Love (From God with the foundation of 1 Corinthians 13:14-18)

• Unconditional
• Sacrificial
• Should change you
• Should draw you closer to God
• A gradual process- As you get to know the other person
• Eros love should always have the foundation of Agape love
• Seeks the best for the other (Whether that's you as their mate or not)
• Edifies the other person
• Is attentive and present
• Never speaks bad about the other person- No matter what
• Carries the person in prayer to their Heavenly Father
• Waits and is Patient
• Holds expectations very loosely
• Always tells the truth
• Hides nothing
• Prevents satan the opportunity to have any say-so
• Relies on God for the perfection of their mate
• Love accepts friendship
• Never demands
• ********Love is not blind **********
• Knows that love is birthed from God and Him alone!

I've never been in love before, so some of these points I have borrowed from other bloggers (http://pangjson.blogspot.com/2008/09/love-vs-infatuation.html). But while I have never been in love with a man here on earth, God has shown me His love so perfectly. He has blessed me with such a beautiful insight on how we as women are to love our future husbands. The bible says that we are to submit to our husbands, as we do unto the Lord! I love my Lord and in that very manner I have the desire to love and serve my husband with the capacity that God grants me. No man is perfect, nor woman, but we have a perfect God who, if we keep our focus on Him, He will lead us and reveal to us how to love in all situations.

Love looks very differently than infatuation... and at this point of my life, whatever my lot shall be..... I am in Love with my Savior Jesus Christ! And all others I love as my brother and sister :) God is good! All the time :)

Lord! Please help us, as women, to keep our hearts centered in the hollow of your hands... There we are safe :)