byEver heard of a relationship that was actually so admirable in the early stages but later turned into something unbearable? I have seen a couple who seemed perfect as college sweethearts, but on the day of their wedding, they fought. Although the fighting didn’t happen too often in their marriage, their relationship as married people was totally different from when they were dating back in college. It is easy to “fall in love” with something or someone; however, it is not as easy to keep that feeling till the end. That is also true to some extent when it comes to our relationship with God. Read on as we explore what staying in love with Jesus —the sweet and bitter aftertaste of falling in love with Jesus — looks like for the Christian.
Three phases of love
The first phase is “falling in Love”. The mistake most people make is thinking that falling in love is an accident waiting to happen. And that when it finally happens, they would live happily ever after. You don’t mistakenly fall in love; falling in love is a decision. The moment you find yourself feeling in love with someone or something for no reason, you should sit down and check it out.
The second phase is realising that it is not easy, and you need to either stay with your decision or change it (that is, if you decided to fall in love). If you just followed your feelings into the relationship, you now have to determine if you want it or not. That is the stage where people are no longer happy and are second-guessing the relationship.
The third and final stage, for me, is the stage where the relationship yields fruit. That is where you find the true happiness that was hiding under all the trials and tribulations the relationship saw. Don’t get me wrong, it could also be a stage where all the red flags you ignored manifest strongly and affect you (that is, if you have been stubborn from the first stage). From all three phases, we can see there’s always a decision to make.
What, then, does it mean to stay in love with Jesus?
After you declare your love for Jesus, it doesn’t end there; you must stay committed to that decision. Why do you love Jesus? As for us at TBDN, “we love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). The only reason that should stop me from loving Him is if He stops loving me. And He has said in His word that it would never happen.
“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning…” great is His faithfulness
Lamentations 3:22 ESV
Staying in love with Jesus means standing by your decision to love Him. In thick or thin, in times of plenty or little, even when things do not seem to go your way, you still love Him the same way you did, but for the trials. Your decision to love Him was not contingent upon trials not coming. Jesus already said that, “…In this (godless) world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.” (John 16:33). Meaning, if you decide to love Him, you agree to the condition that things will not be easy in this world. However, He has overcome it, and so will you. Continually decide to obey Jesus’ command to stay in love with Him.Â
Falling in love with Jesus is easy—staying in love with Him takes commitment.
What is the sweet and bitter aftertaste that comes with staying in love?
As stated earlier, there will be trials and temptations. The fact that you passionately want to love God through obedience in a certain way does not mean it will always happen like that. Sometimes it won’t be easy. For instance, you may say to yourself, “I love God so much, I will never be corrupt, I will never accept a bribe as a person in an administrative position,” with the thought if you are offered an amount like GH₵ 1000.00, you will show your love for God by simply not accepting it. In reality, you may not be bribed with GH₵1000.00 on that day of testing. You may be bribed with just a meagre GH₵50.00 at a point in your life when you are very much in need of money. You may even be bribed with a whopping GH₵1,000,000.00, and you may have never seen such a large amount of money. Your flesh will give you every reason why you should accept the money. But you must avoid it. That is what staying in love with God can look like. Many people will ultimately fall out of love with Jesus at that point and succumb to the temptation.
The sweet aftertaste of staying in love with Jesus can be represented as this. A woman, through the grace of God, refuses to grant her boss sexual pleasure in exchange for her promotion, which she is overqualified for. All her friends have been promoted and are doing well for themselves, while she remains the same. She doesn’t stop loving God after this. After a few painful years, her boss is miraculously fired, and she is made the new boss! Biblically, a similar scenario is represented in the story of the encounter between Joseph and Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39:10-45:23). Those who wait upon the LORD shall always renew their strength.
Conclusion
Falling in love with Jesus is easy—staying in love with Him takes commitment. The journey may bring trials, moments of weakness, temptation, and hardship. However, the reward for faithfulness is immeasurable. Like Joseph, who endured suffering before he was divinely exalted, those who remain steadfast will see God’s faithfulness. Lean on His grace, for it is sufficient. In the end, the sweet aftertaste of enduring love far outweighs the bitterness of temporary struggles. Keep loving Jesus; your perseverance will not go unrewarded.
