September 25, 2023
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It was one of so many of these that happened more regularly than ever. And we may never know why this particular one happened. That's the usual reaction when another "senseless" shooting leaves its trail of death and heartbreak. This time, this vengeful gunman in the horrific rampage near Santa Barbara, California left this hate-filled, 141-page manifesto to explain it. As one student's self-described "day of retribution" he called it.
"My Twisted World" his manifesto was called. And in part, it was a journal of growing romantic and sexual frustration. Girls went for other guys but not for him. Others were having sex while he was an unintentional virgin. Frustration morphed into loneliness, then into desperation, and then a hellish personal agenda of destroying what he thought had hurt him.
In the midst of the subsequent discussions about gun control and mental illness, few were addressing his convoluted ideas about love and sex and women; they permeate our culture, our hopes, our expectations.
They're lies I'm all too familiar with. From knowing so many who've bought these lies, who feel worthless, and feel rejected. Who often driven to withdrawal, bitterness, self-pity. Some lash out. Some just decide to die. They are wrong ideas that need to be exposed because they're hurting too many people.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Life-Twisting Lies About Love."
Here's the first one: sex and love give you worth. That seems to be what the California mass shooter believed. Along with millions of people who've been bombarded with a Hollywood story line that holds up romantic love as the ultimate happy ending; the ultimate validation that, "Yes, you are worth something."
But, as many can attest, they got used, not loved. Like the teenage girl who called for advice about whether to give in to her boyfriend's pressure to have sex. She hadn't dated much. She was a virgin. She really didn't want to lose this guy though. I told her she'd probably lose him anyway once she gave in and lose something she could never get back. But he made her feel valuable. She gave him what he wanted. He moved on. She said, "I thought I'd feel worth more if I did it. I don't. I feel more worth-less than ever."
Secondly, a man proves his manhood by conquering a woman. Boy, there's another lie. The Bible says we're all "made in the image of God" (Genesis 1:27). It actually commands young men to "treat the younger women as sisters, with absolute purity" (1 Timothy 5:2). So using them for your pleasure diminishes both of you. A guy doesn't prove his manhood by conquering a woman. He proves it by being a man women are safe with, respected, protected, un-violated. He conquers himself.
And then a third life-twisting idea out there is that love and sex will make you fulfilled. The most passionate love, the greatest sex still leave you with this haunting whisper in your soul, "Someone's missing." Yeah, well, Someone is. That's Someone with a capital S.
A boyfriend, a girlfriend, a lover, a husband or wife; they don't fill that hole in your heart because they can't. God says He has "planted eternity in the human heart" (Ecclesiastes 3:11). And nobody on earth can fill that eternity vacuum.
Which leads us to our word for today from the Word of God in Colossians 1:16 that talks about the relationship you were made for. It says, "All things were made by Him and for Him." It's talking about Jesus. He's the One who gave you your worth before you were born. He's the One who restored the worth that your sin had stolen by sending His Son, Jesus, to build a bridge to get to Him; a bridge in the shape of a cross.
If you've never begun that ultimate relationship that you were made for and found the fulfillment and the love that only He can give, I invite you to go to our website and there you will find a simple explanation of how to be sure you have begun this life-changing relationship. The website is ANewStory.com.
Today, the deep hunger of your restless heart can only be satisfied in one way. By the love that heart was made for.