Real Romance: Winning Back This Generation

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

(photo credit: sciondriver via photopin cc)

I sat in the local cafe not wanting to eavesdrop while I waited for my friend to come and meet me for a smoothie. The conversation a young woman beside me was having on her phone broke my heart in more ways than one. She was angry, sad, confused and yes even hurt. I shouldn't have been listening, and tried not to as I checked my phone for emails and other social media updates. But I digress, it was more of a facade to appear as though I wasn't eavesdropping.

I don't know this sweet woman's story. I didn't even know who she was. I'm not here to judge and I'm not here to point out what she was doing wrong either. Like I said, I didn't know her at all. But I do know hurt, confusion and frustration when I see it. And this young woman was frustrated maybe even lost. My heart went out to her.

You see this young woman was talking about a relationship she had. I don't know what went on in this "relationship" or lack thereof, however whatever it was didn't sound like it was good. As she vented to her friend on the other line though it became clear to me that what was happening between them was something all too familiar for the young men and women of my own generation. Men and women who have been lied to about casual dating, hooking up, romance and love. I should know. I was one of those women who believed those lies at one point. A woman who compromised herself in the hope of finding love. It wasn't until I was born again did I realize the utter futility and deceptiveness of this world's system. So now when I see it happen my heart breaks.

I'm beginning to think though that more and more people of my generation are also realizing the futility of what is deemed as "romance" today. (Which really isn't even real romance at all.) Real romance is much more beautiful, stunning really, than anything we could have ever come up with ourselves.

1. Real Romance is first and foremost a Person named Jesus Christ. Anything that is considered genuinely romantic has it's roots deeply tied up in Him. Take a look at His life. Were not the things He did grounded in love? Were not the things He did genuine? Were not the things He spoke laced with truth and grace? Yes, yes, and yes!

2. Secondly real romance is love. The kind of love that is described in 1 Corinthians 13, aka the love chapter. Real romance is a love that is kind, gracious, patient, and always thinking of the other person first. This brings me to my next point...

3. Thirdly real romance is sacrificial. We only need to look to the Cross to see this. Do you ever wonder why most women swoon when they see men dying for the women they love? I used to wonder why, until I realized that it was because Jesus Christ, True Love personified, was the One who died for me and you. He was the One who went to battle for us and died to save our lives. But unlike mortal men, He went far above and beyond by rising again and gaining victory for us through His resurrection. Talk about romantic!!

The men and women of my generation are feeling the effects of the lies and false romance being touted as true love today. I believe more and more people are waking up and having their eyes opened.

I want to be someone who helps God win back this generation from the destructive lies that pervade our culture. People are hungry, thirsty for the real way. The woman in the coffee shop, the man on the college campus, your co-worker who broke up with her boyfriend and is devastated, your distant cousin who doesn't know Christ.... On and on the list goes. They are all hungering for true love and slowly learning the hard way that it's not found in hook-ups and casual dating.

Let's be salt and light for these people and share with them the True Love that will be the one to woo their hearts back to Himself and show them how to walk the right path.
 
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8


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5 Comments »

5 Responses to “Real Romance: Winning Back This Generation”

  1. Hi, Gretchen! I found your blog through Faithful Bloggers, and I'm so glad that I did. I love this reminder of what real romance is. I would like to invite you to link-up at my new link-up called The Single Life on my blog called The Barnprincess.

    Misty Boone
    Http://thebarnprincess.com

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    1. Hi Misty!! I am so glad you stopped my blog and so happy you like this post. Thank you so much for your sweet comment! I just visited your blog and absolutely LOVE it! I particularly found the Living the Single Life post extremely helpful. It spoke to my heart. Thank you. I would love to join the link up and am headed over right now. So great to meet you Misty! Thank you again for stopping by and inviting me to The Barn Princess!! God bless you!

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  2. Thanks for this post Gretchen! My idea of love can become warped by the world so easily, and I have to keep reminding myself what love really is, or WHO love is. God is love:)

    I was writing a post with a similar theme to yours for Valentines, but it didn't get finished in time. Now that it's March I think it may be too late for a post like that. I may save it for next year. What do you think?

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    1. Hi Mallory! You are so welcome. Honestly I needed this post too. All the stuff I put on here is a reminder to myself as well. I think a lot of the times our view of real love gets warped just because we live in a fallen world and are still imperfect people.
      You should definitely put your post on love up! I think you could put it up now or on next Valentines day. It's a message that is much needed today.
      Thanks for stopping by! So good to see you!

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  3. Thank you Gretchen! My post still needs a bit of tweaking, so I think I'll just save it for next Valentines. I had a cold around the holiday, and didn't get it published:( I suppose it wasn't meant to be this year:) I enjoyed reading your post:) Thanks again!

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