I was writing an e-mail response to my old Thailand mission buddy Hank Jenkins tonight. I wrote about something that I want to touch on a bit more here…real love versus false love.
I look at much of the world’s offerings as false love in various forms. Whether it’s power, money, sexuality, material things…each of these can be alluring in its own way. When pursued as ends themselves, each of these can be addictive and even destructive. Then, why do good people sometimes pursue them?
I think often the answer is that people are looking for love…but in all the wrong places. Worldly things cannot fill us with good when they are ends themselves. However, each of these things can take its appropriate place in our lives when we pursue God our Heavenly Father first. Power can be righteously attained through obedience to God and through the Priesthood. Money can be used to bless our families, the Church and Kingdom, and good causes of all stripes. Sexual intimacy is meant as a sacrament, as Elder Holland has said, between a husband and wife who love each other. And material things can be used as tools to strengthen relationships, make memories, and bless the lives of others. The key is priority.
The scriptures and modern prophets teach that Satan is the father of lies. I sometimes think of that as his church calling - to entice, lie, and lead us to have fear rather than faith. Then when I feel fear or temptation coming on, it helps me to think something like, “Oh, that’s just ol’ scratch doing his church calling! You’re sneaky, but no thanks.”
When we come unto God as the source of all power and all love, we are told that we will never thirst. His love will fill us with the REAL love, satisfaction, and peace that we all truly seek. We sometimes falsely believe that other things will fill us, but as primary love sources they can never do that. Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ are our primary love source. Their love is real; it’s better than any false version out there. And They know best what we as humans need because They created us and provided the way for us to receive all that They have. The more I think about, study about, and communicate with Them, the more I feel like the real, eternal me.
Ain’t nothing like the real thing baby!