Countless men and women live through the anguish and despair of broken relationships, others may accept entering abusing relationships as "to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet".
“Aren't you, like me, hoping that some person, thing, or event will come along to give you that final feeling of inner well-being you desire? Don't you often hope: 'May this book, idea, course, trip, job, country or relationship fulfill my deepest desire.' But as long as you are waiting for that mysterious moment you will go on running helter-skelter, always anxious and restless, always lustful and angry, never fully satisfied. You know that this is the compulsiveness that keeps us going and busy, but at the same time makes us wonder whether we are getting anywhere in the long run. This is the way to spiritual exhaustion and burn-out. This is the way to spiritual death.”
~ Henri J.M. Nouwen, Life of the Beloved ~
Do you feel that you had enough? Enough throwing yourself in bogus bosoms.. Enough drinking from poisonous cups ... enough allowing others to tread with their feet on your broken heart.. Come now to see how you could be restored, collecting back your scattered pieces, drinking pure & genuine love that can quench your thirst & heal the pain arousing from feeling hunger & destitute.
Of course it is hard to believe that you can be loved for who you really are after hearing all these years that you’re not good enough, you're bad, you're ugly, you came by mistake as your parents didn't want more babies, all these lies were embedded & inculcated in every cell in your being that even if there's someone who could really love you, you may not be able to receive this love.
If you're that person..If you're thinking that you're deeply wounded with no hope for healing? Read the following words:
“12 For thus says the Lord: ‘Your affliction is incurable, Your wound is severe. 13 There is no one to plead your cause, That you may be bound up; You have no healing medicines. 14 All your lovers have forgotten you; They do not seek you....17 For I will restore health to you And heal you of your wounds,’ says the Lord, ‘Because they called you an outcast.." (Jeremiah 30)
The Real & Only Reason behind Our Hunger for Love
- You may wonder why do we need that much of love, basic love when we were kids, & continually need it when we're adults?
- The truth is that we were created & designed to live by love, Love is like the oxygen we humans breathe, our hearts cannot be satisfied by anything except in love, & we cannot get it from ourselves, we –as created creatures- need to receive it from an outside source.
- Parents were supposed to convey this love to their kids; therefore there's no doubt that the loss of basic love mentioned in part 2 (click here ) is like an earthquake that fiercely causes cracks & brokenness within one's self & identity, but not only losing this basic love is the reason behind our hunger, but also because the fallen nature which we've inherited from Adam & Eve got separated from the real source of Love: God Himself, as God was the center of man; therefore he was satisfied, but ever since this separation; man became the center of himself; the reason behind all hunger & thirst.
This need for "Basic love" in its essence is the need for God Himself... as God is Love.
You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”
~ Confessions of St. Augustine ~
The Cure for This Hunger
- Imagine someone who, you really love & is dying asked your help, which love is greater: If you told that person: "I love you, but won't help you" –or- if you really went there to help?
And which love is greater: If that person was a good person & worth to be helped? Or if bad & did not worth it?
- God did not stand there watching us suffer & said from above "Oh.. I love you"!! ,No, He surprised us with an unfathomable & unexpected action taking our flesh & coming to earth –while also remaining God as he's immutable-in order to restore this broken relationship which is so dear to His hear, He came not to just to help us exist (being "somebody") but to be His dear sons & daughters.
- Coming to earth showed how much He loves each & every one of us. Why? Because:
• He loved us despite all our iniquities
• He initiated coming to us when we could not reach him & didn’t ask for it
• He came in humiliation, self-denial, and loving service for others (read: 2 Corinthians 8:9)
• He reflected God's heart & thoughts towards us; that He is a God of Love & compassion; The invisible love became visible in Him. (read: Colossians 1:15)
“You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Mark 1: 11)"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" ~ John 3:16 ~
God saw our deepest need for intimacy & He saw how people cannot meet this need for us; therefore His incarnation (taking flesh) was the greatest invitation for intimacy. All what He wants to reign over your heart to fill it with love, the love that will restore yourself all together again; the love that will bring your inner world into harmony so that you can be able to love yourself & others as well.
- Instead of being driven by needs & desires & hunger, you can be free from all these wrong motives, what you deeply need lies inside of you, stop searching outside & start searching inside, invite Him to dwell in your heart & be sure that He listens & will answer your request as He wants it more than you do.
Stop telling yourself the same words you used to hear from others (that you're not good enough, not loved, etc.) & start declaring the truth about yourself as revealed in the word of God, the truth is that, there's nothing you can do to make God love you more or less, you're deeply loved & accepted unconditionally, you're very special, you're not here by coincidence.
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you", "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine" (Jeremiah 1 & Isaiah 43)
*To read all parts from this series; please click here:
● Part 1: Our Need for Basic Love
● Part 2: What real love is NOT
- References:
http://christiangrowth.com/sensation/sensation.html
https://bible.org/article/why-god-became-man
https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Incarnation
