“Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her.” (2 Samuel 13:15)
We don’t necessarily think of “falling” as a positive experience. When we fall, we find ourselves heading toward the ground – to our surprise, and against our will. We have lost control of our balance, we can’t help what is happening to us. Like it or not, we are going down.
Falling in love with anyone or anything is similar. We are not pulled down, but toward, the object of our attraction. The sight, the sound, the touch of our beloved can send us spiraling. Love is not hard to muster; it gushes forth from the depths of our soul. We have no control over our feelings. They are just there.
Though real and powerful, such feelings of love can subside, and at times can completely disappear; or, even be replaced by feelings of revulsion and hate. Such was the case with Amnon. He was lovesick. He was drawn to Tamar with a magnetic force. He pined away for her. But when the “bubble broke” and he knew his feelings for her were not reciprocal, he felt like a fool. Anger, guilt and shame swept away the powerful feelings of love, and now he was in the grip of an equally powerful hate that wanted rid of her.
Don’t mistake “falling in love” for the love that will last. This love “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Cor. 13:7). God didn’t need us to be gorgeous to love us. God didn’t need us to love Him before He loved us. God’s love is predicated on nothing other than the fact that He IS love.
As surely as we fall into love, we can fall out of it. Build your relationships on something better. Discover God’s love for yourself, and then love all those around you with a love that never falls.