Infatuation Doesn’t Last

Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the LORD our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day. 1 Kings 8:61

Most of us, as teenagers, experienced infatuation in some relationship. We had overwhelming emotions that dictated our reality. . . until those emotions just wore off. Then, for most of us, those relationships ended. Infatuation alone makes for a poor long-term bond. I did have similar overwhelming emotions when I first met my wife, but infatuation is temporary, and for our relationship to last, we had to learn authentic love for each other – purposefully choosing to meet each other’s needs. Whereas infatuation is an involuntary feeling that requires no effort, authentic love means consciously choosing specific loving behaviors towards each other.

Though it didn’t involve romantic love, I had a similar emotional experience after treatment. I came home from treatment riding an emotional wave of radical change. Often referred to ironically as a treatment high, I had this intense feeling that I had life all figured out. Engaging in recovery activities required little effort because I just felt like doing those things. That intense emotion was temporary though, and for my recovery to last, I had to consciously choose to build recovery activities into my life so that, even when I didn’t feel like getting up early to read and pray, I did it anyway.

When on an emotional high, we feel something that we think will last forever – but it doesn’t. Solomon recognized this and, in today’s passage, tried to do something about it. At the dedication of the temple, all of Israel was swept up in overwhelming emotion. This was the culmination of hundreds of years of seeking, as God’s people arrived at the pinnacle of their kingdom. They must have felt like this would last forever. Solomon though, knew better. So, he prayed, imploring that his people would remain steadfast in their commitment to God. He knew the emotion of the moment would wear off and so, he begged his people to commit their entire lives to God, following him, even when the emotion of the moment wore off.

On Sunday morning, as we sit singing, our emotions may point us to God. That feeling alone though, is inadequate, as it wears off. If we desire to follow God, we must daily – not just on Sunday mornings – choose behaviors that point us to God. If we claim to be Christians, we must daily read his word, pray, meditate, listen, and choose to engage in obedient behaviors. Emotions don’t last and make for poor long-term motivation. If we want our commitment to God to last, we must consciously build daily behaviors into our lives so that we follow him, even when we don’t feel like it.