You are here: Home › Whats New › 2009 › 05 › 18 › In All The Wrong Places

18th May 2009 by Angela Cairns

I want... intimacy

Why have you been considering sleeping with your boyfriend?

Is it because deep down you feel that no one really cares about you? Is it because your mum used to always put you down, your dad doesn't show much interest in you and how you're going, and your step-mum looks for every opportunity to tell you you're no good? Is it because you always compare yourself to your big sisters? Is it because your friends are only your friends when they want something?

Or is it really because you want someone to love you?

I want... happiness

Why is it that you have been smoking pot so much lately? Why is it that you have been ‘experimenting' with E and other ‘party' drugs?

Is it because at least when you're there - you can forget about your pain? What's the point in thinking about your pain anyway - there's nothing you can do about it. It's always there - and you can't change the past, you can't erase memories!

The pot at least takes away the fact that mum's an alcoholic and couldn't bring you up. When you're in that happy ‘E' world at least you forget that even your Grandma kicked you out because she ‘couldn't handle you' anymore. It eases the pain that your girlfriend broke up with you and now you're completely alone.

Yeah, when you're smoking, at least you can forget about the fact that no one loves you.

I want... recognition

Why is it that you try to be good at everything, yet you never measure up to your own expectations? Why is it that you try to be everything to everyone? Why is it that you try and try to please everyone around you? Is it that you think you can earn people's love?

Why is it that you always have that drink when the others do? Is it so they will like you more? Is it so you can form some false sense of confidence and be the life of the party so everyone will think you're funny and talk about it tomorrow? Is it so they will like you more?

I want... love

To be loved. That would be good. "All you need is love. Love is all you need". Strangely familiar. Strangely true. Strangely, they got that right. Love. There's only one place you'll find it.

You won't find it when you give your body to that boy. You'll only hinder its presence and blur it when you smoke pot or get high. You won't find it in that next relationship either. You won't get it from your friends. Not the unconditional kind. It's rare anyway. It all starts with the creator of it. It starts with ‘love' himself.

Stop looking in the wrong places

Stop. Listen. Tell God you want him to speak. Listen hard. What does he say? When you actually tune into the voice of God, one message always seems to rise above the rest...

"I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.

• Not because you gave some money to the homeless.
  
• Not because you gave your lunch to the kid with none.
  
• Not because you did well last week in your math's exam.
  
• Not because you didn't.
  
• Not because your blog was so funny.
  
• Not because you are ‘hot'.
  
• Not because you are going to do something great for me...
• But simply because I do.
  

I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. Nothing you do wrong could ever take that away. Nothing you do right will ever make it grow. My love for you is already fully grown."

Jesus showed love to you - like no one ever could. He took your the punishment for all the things you have done wrong - so you will never need to know the pain of death. Why? Because he loves you. He wants you to live free, to know your worth, to know you are loved - no matter what!

Will you stop and be open to receiving this love that can permeate your whole being? Will you stop and think about what it is that you are doing to try and fill that love void in your soul? Stop, and allow it to be filled by real love.

Angela Cairns is Youth Pastor at Tweed Heads Salvation Army on the north coast of New South Wales. She's passionate about reaching out to young people across her city.

Angela loves music and is a talented singer and musician, as well as an avid songwriter. She is married to Lucas and they have three children.

Comments

• Leave a comment
• Subscribe to comments

1. 

   jenny

   May 19, 2009 at 5:30pm

   So very true. Jesus is the only place you will find love, unconditional love. And we are to give that same love, which we can only do through Jesus our Lord. I pray for people to realise what you have talked about in the above article and find and accept Jesus's gift of forgiveness so they can be truly free to be who God created them to be and know true peace and freedom.

   Reply
2. 

   Rusty Hodges

   May 20, 2009 at 9:38am

   Hey Ang,
   
   I agree that ''all we need is love" yet we can only find it fully in Jesus.
   Thanks for the reminder... to stop chasing love and simply let God God me!!!
   
   "Jesus loves me this i know for the Bible tells me so"
   
   Rusty

   Reply
3. 

   Megan Halliday

   May 22, 2009 at 9:23pm

   Good one Ang.
   
   A great reminder for us all. Thanks for your honesty.

   Reply
4. 

   Leah Robinson

   May 27, 2009 at 2:35pm

   Awesome reminder Ange :)
   Its really easy to fall into the trap and the lies of the enemy that ' we just aren't good enough '. Praise God that we don't have to be!! :) .. cause none of us are good enough.. its through grace.. and thats the awesomeness ( is that a word) of GODS LOVE!
   
   Thanks for the reminder sweet girl :)

   Reply