We enjoy experiencing, studying about, and are pulled toward whatever it is we love.

Until purified however, this may result in unhealthy consequences. As an example, when I was younger, I loved the idea of riches, and so I studied all I could about how to make it, grow it, and keep it. I practically choked the life out of myself and others because of my desire for it. Today, I realize this wasn’t love, but lust, and know better how to tell the difference.

Lust consumes, devours, obsesses, controls, owns, abuses, uses, demands, and intoxicates.

Love sacrifices, gives, desires, cares, nourishes, heals, reveals, desires, redeems, and enjoys.

As such, both have their pull and stem from the heart. The issue is whether it be a healthy one, or not.

There is nothing more vulnerable, pure, generous, kind, patient, compassionate, healing, nourishing, and sacrificial than true love. For we are told God is love. It’s who He is, and we are capable of such things as His children.

Alternately, there is nothing more damaging than lust disguised as love. For it consumes, takes, damages, is prideful, selfish, and fake. Sadly, we too are capable of such things when we allow ourselves to be led astray as countless lives have done since Eden.

It is no easy matter for a heart to love well – but it’s also not that hard. For it flows abundantly, and endlessly from God, to us, for us, and will transform us in order to flow through us when we come to the point in our lives we decide what it is we truly desire.

Is it Jesus, over all else? His love. His way. His truth. His hope. His life – Over ours, or anything, or anyone else?

God “completes” us – nothing or no one else can do this. He is the daily remedy to the hunger within – nothing, or no one else. He is our validation – nothing, or no one else.

Once we realize this, and desire Him over all, He in turn gives to us the desires of our heart – and they are His desires. Good desires – and our hearts are then released to live, to hope, and to love ourselves, and others as He created us to.