LOVE GIVES, LUST TAKES As I was listening to TD Jakes with my son, the pastor began to develop his sermon about the difference between love and lust. The pastor moves to the point that one of the most significant ways you can tell LOVE from lust is that ---LOVE GIVES and lust takes. Although he was clearly speaking beyond the simple issues of physical attraction OR flesh exchange. he was speaking in terms of all our actions with one another as human beings with the capacity to love at all times..the point was very clear - WHEN YOU LOVE YOUR MOTIVATION IS CENTERED ON GIVING AND CARING - WHEN YOU LUST YOUR MOTIVATION IS CENTERED ON TAKING. If that was not profound enough, my son asked, "Do people always lust when they are taking something?" I asked him to explain further.....he said well ---when we take from friends or family members are we acting in lust? Good question - In a nutshell,I explained there is a significant difference between taking and receiving - additionally --when a person receives often time that which is received is a result of prior love or prior giving in love. In some cases it it simply the desire of the other to share love as in passing it forward to others - thus establishing we all live in a community of inescapable mutuality - (in other words, we need each other). Thus to take is typically a selfish act or possibly lustful as the pastor suggests however to receive in the spirit of love actually gives a sense of joy to the giver and the receiver - therefore it can be an engagement in the spirit of love. The process of being a lover. so he looked a little curious... Then he asked what i thought was a more profound question - - - "So when people that like to give but never allow others to give to them, are they in fact acting in a state of LUST? " without appearing to excited that he made the connection, I stated that in my opinion ...yes, that is in fact a selfish act and behavior and can be seen as fulfilling the lustful needs of the person to feel good by helping others - but never allowing others to help them is to deny others that same pleasure or love exercise (in the context of TD Jakes point) or in fact to take the opportunity to give away from others. That is rarely originating from a position of love but most often a position of self interests, greed, ego, self importance,well.. insecurity and yes...even lust. Love is often an act of mutuality in which the lovers if you will agree to honor one another through giving an receiving in a wa that honors all parties and allows the God Spirit in all to be express in giving and in receiving - anything less is probably based in selfish ego and then need to feel good personally without creating the opportunity for the other to share those feelings mutually --thus to experience love. He looked at me sort of contemplative and said huh ok... I gave him a hug...then went to finish his studies. Afterward I thought that maybe that response might have been a bit too indepth or complex..:-)...i could have simply said "Yes, you are correct - that is a powerful inference". Might my long fairly complex answer been somewhat self serving or maybe even spiced with lust? I will have to reflect on that for a spell. In the meantime...i am glad we took that time to listen to the pastor and share a few moments of conversation and LOVE and its powers and Lust and its deletions. please excuse any typos..i am in a rush but wanted to make a note of the thoughts and the special moment. There may be an essay in this moment I need to develop. peace
Posted on: Fri, 06 Sep 2013 00:40:02 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015