love and firewood

Attention couples!!!

We're quite educated in the ways of showing affection, aren't we? Two flawless bodies on a billboard with arms and legs intertwined in new, creative ways... just shocking enough to make you want to buy the clothes they are half-wearing... two people on a park bench rubbing each other up and down as if they were freezing to death... Should we be listening to these suggestions though? Why or why not? Affection is harmless enough, right?

Don't worry, I'm not going to waste any time trying to discourage any certain forms of affection. I do, however, want to think for a moment about the contrast between physicality and commitment.

The physical stuff is visible, concrete and undeniable. The ideas behind them are invisible, abstract and often cloudy. Also, the two can sometimes be totally separate. Consider people in modeling or acting. The physicality is there, but I doubt there is any commitment or relationship. Conversely, in some marriages gone cold, there may be a certain level of commitment, but no passion or intimacy.

So how in the world can we build strongly committed relationships with healthy physicality? How can such a balance be started and maintained? Is it possible?

I think the answer lies in a helpful analogy I've learned from Tommy Nelson in his study on The Song of Solomon.

He relates physical passion to gasoline, and rightly points out that a relationship built on that alone may have large flames for a little while, but has nothing left afterwards. He talks about the need for the 'firewood' of commitment and character.

I think it's interesting to note as well that the more firewood you have, the longer the fire lasts! Are we sometimes guilty of impatiently gathering a few small twigs, drowning them with gasoline and feeling frustrated that the fire doesn't last? Possibly?

God is more than aware of the pain and hurting that comes with failed relationships. He doesn't want us to go through the pain! He wants to give us His best!

I'm not a fan of all the charts, graphs or rules that people try to create for successful relationships, but I will say this: For the sake of your heart, keep the gasoline in the can until you've gathered the firewood of commitment and character. Then you can enjoy the warmth and security of a committed relationship.