Strawberry Crush

Have you ever developed a crush for someone? How did you feel? How did you respond to this feeling? Did you challenge it? Did you explore it? Did it ever go away? 

I remember my first crush. I was in first grade when I met Calvin. He was the cutest light bright I'd ever seen. My teacher caught on and would actually allow us to sit together. We would enjoy our innocent times, him making me laugh and me sharing my snacks. I loved him before I even knew what love was. But Calvin was a bad boy. He got in trouble a lot. I would take up for him too. But one day I would not be able to see him again because he moved away and transferred to another school. My heart was torn in half as I would miss him for a while. 

That was about 24 years ago. Since then I've had a few crushes. None of them really went anywhere but to a disappointing dead end. Which has provoked me to seek understanding of what does "having a crush," really mean. In all honesty, having a crush on someone is just merely being infatuated by them. To be infatuated,you don't even have to know anything significant about them. Infatuation is having a passionate attraction towards the perception of someone's perfection. This is a false feeling and thus can be unhealthy. As a believer, this can be detrimental. 

If we're not careful we will allow ourselves to be led down paths of impurity, rebellion, disobedience, confusion, drama, and pain when we are intoxicated by a little unbridled "strawberry crush." It's because infatuation clouds judgement. Infatuation fuels premature decisions. 

It's natural to take interest in another human being to where you like a person. But you have to be mature enough to know when to put a cap on these interests so that you don't find yourself caught up in a torrentuous rapture of someone else. I hate to tell ya, but infatuation, beloved, is lust! 

Are you familiar with the account in 2 Samuel 13 where Amnon's strong feelings for his half sister made him sick with lust until he eventually sexually assaulted her! We've all seen and heard of incidents involving crimes of passion. People allowed their own strong feelings for another to cause them to do some heinous things. 

Now, I'm not saying that you yourself are capable of committing atrocities endorsed by your strong feelings for another, I just want you to see how volatile you can become once consumed by infatuation. Moreover, you never really want to allow any being to take the place of your reverence of God.  The more infatuated with someone you become, the more likely this person will be your golden calf. You will begin to worship them as if they are your god. Yes, it's possible that a small crush can morph itself into idolatry. 

In some cases you can develop a crush for someone who doesn't see you in a romantic light. I would consider this like stirring up a bowl of your own heartbreak. Worst case scenario, you'll run into someone who will take advantage of your infatuation and lead you on with no intentions of moving forward with you but to get something out of you. I've seen this happen a few times. By now you guys already know that I'm not ashamed to put myself out there as an example. In my own various cases (there were a few) of being under the influence of infatuation, I found myself putting money down for cars, paying off parking tickets and tow truck fees, buying groceries, picking up tabs for parties of 10 plus people, paying bills, buying furniture, etc. #tragic. 

In every single incident, looking back not only did I see how naive and dumb I was but I saw where I lost control and allowed these feelings to get the best of me. I also saw some things in me that created these loose boundaries enabling my lack of self control which included a twisted and ungodly view of myself. Can you see this for yourself? The old saints would say, "Once the enemy gets a toehold, the toehold will turn into a foothold and the foothold will eventually become a stronghold."

Strawberry crushes can start off as a cute small bonfire behind a log cabin and out of nowhere turn into a whole forest fire! We must investigate these feelings. Ask God what they are before they get out of hand. Because the devil loves it when we're moved by our feelings especially from a romantic standpoint. This is where he's going to trip up and distract a lot of believers this year. He wants to bombrush the facility of your heart so tough that you give in to what you're feeling. Some of the most focused and chaste people are about to be challenged aggressively in their ability to shut down premature feelings and put a cap on their interests in others.  

. Why? Because these very people are a threat to the kingdom of darkness! And the devil knows that any form of perverted love-->>LUST<<--, can act as their Achilles heel. 

Take heed lest you fall...

G.I.N.O 

God Is Number One