This was taken from a series on romantic relationships I preached that started with a teaching called “Finding The ONE.”

The basic idea is this.  There is a part of all of us that longs to find our missing piece, our other half, our soul-mate, the one who completes us, someone who makes us feel completely loved, completely known, and completely lovable.  We’re looking for and longing for The ONE.  

But here is the deal, there is no one like that for you.  No one can be that for you and you can’t be that for anyone else.

That is a romantic part of our heart that is longing for God and it is an ache, a desire, a longing of the soul that only God can fulfill.

Read Psalm 139 and you’ll begin to get a sense who it is your heart and mine is really longing for.

Only God can be The ONE for you; the one your soul longs for, your missing piece, the one who completes you and makes you feel completely loved, completely known, and completely lovable. 

And you can’t be the ONE for anyone else either.

Getting this wrong, looking for the Ultimate love in all the wrong places leads to so much suffering in our lives.  Over fifteen hundred years ago, Saint Augustine said that the heart of our brokenness is a disordered love, or loving things out of their proper place. 

When we try to make someone into The ONE in our lives, we’re trying to make them play a role that they will never be capable of – to fill a space they’ll never be able to fill – and it always leads to heartache, disappointment, and regret. 

We may not recognize it but we are trying to make a god of romance, a god of another person, or letting them try to make a god of us.  Nothing good ever comes from making a god out of something that isn’t God.  It never ends well when we make a lesser thing into an ultimate thing. 

However, when we order our love aright, and let God be The ONE, then it sets us free to love everyone else with a better love. 

We can be single and content knowing that we’ve already found The ONE and God can give us a life of love and connection that no person can.  We have already begun the great romance. 

We can date with wisdom, confidence, and contentment knowing that we’ve already found The ONE and all we’re looking for is a potential TWO.  All you’re potentially offering to someone is to be their TWO, because you know that that is the most you could ever be for them and hopefully they’ve already found The ONE as well.

If you’re married then having already found The ONE changes everything.  You don’t have to put expectations on your spouse for being The ONE for you and can just let them be your TWO.  You can love them best when you love God most.   

Augustine said that the heart of our brokenness is a disordered love.  I’d like to amend that by saying the source of our greatest joy, love, and delight is properly ordered love.

May you seek and find The ONE your soul truly longs for.