Unhooked: Holy in a Hookup WorldNäide

Day 23: Infatuation

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Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. –1 Corinthians 13:7

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Love is patient.

Love is kind.

Love is not infatuation—but in a hookup world, one is often confused with the other.

When you’re infatuated, you can’t get him or her out of your head. You can’t sleep and you can’t stop smiling. Your heart skips a beat and the world stops, or the room spins and there are butterflies in your stomach.

Which is fun.

It’s also involuntary, unreliable, and temporary. And relationships can’t stand on fleeting foundations.

Love, on the other hand, is a choice. It never gives up. And it always endures.

When we choose infatuation over love—or when we just don’t know the difference—dating can do great damage.

We say we want to be loved, but we actually want to be captivated. We think more about what we can get out of someone than about what we can give. We value how a person makes us feel more than we value the person. But God created you for more.

He created you to love. And He has modeled how to do it.

He left Heaven and came to earth, for you.

"When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross." –Philippians 2:7-8

He did that for you.

And “I chose you,” He said in John 15:16.

He wants you to grow in holiness, healthiness, and happiness. He wants all your encounters with Him to communicate your value.

That’s what real love looks like.

And He is inviting you to model it in your own life, too.

Pray

Lord, it is easy in a hookup world to prefer infatuation over love. But I long to love like You do. Thank You for showing me what love is like—please grant me the grace to truly love others.

Reflect

What are your thoughts and actions when you’re infatuated with someone? What about when you love someone? Make a list of the ways God has expressed His love for you.