Looking for Love?

I rarely watch television unless it has something to do with sports. Maybe the occasional evening news or the Storm Riders on the Weather Channel. Even caught a little bit of political info from C-Span recently. How exciting. We have a very basic “local only” cable package, so aside from the shopping channels, PBS and the locals, there’s not many options.

But if you’re a sports fan who enjoys college football bowl games, and don’t have ESPN, the bowl season is quite a bummer. Hardly any games are on the main networks, so unless a good friend or caring church member invites me over to watch the championship game next Monday night, I guess I’ll just have to read about it in the paper.

Anyway, so last night we had a free evening at home. We’d been procrastinating on taking our Christmas tree down by playing Scrabble, (don’t ask me who won), watching “Facing the Giants” on video and taking care of our new puppy, which basically meant trying to keep him from chewing the legs off the furniture. Later my wife starts flipping through the channels and we land on this comedy called “The Bachelor.”

It was hilarious! If you’re not familiar with it, let me explain. There’s this single dude, dressed all up in a nice suit on the set of this huge mansion. And one by one there’s like 25 beautiful women who show up, introduce themselves as potential brides and start fawning all over him. He’s like a kid in a candy store! All he has to do is sample the ones he wants the most, while “dating” whomever he chooses. At the end of the season he will have found the love of his life and they’ll ride off into happily ever after land.

And the drama of it all along the way! Put 25 women together who all want the same guy and you’re rivaling the best of pay-per-view championship fights.

It was so funny I couldn’t bear to watch. And sad. Pathetic, really. Is this how it works these days? Seriously? Men, can you even imagine if while dating your future wife you were also courting several other gorgeous women? You think she’d be okay with that? There’s no way.

I’d like to tell the bachelor dude to think through this for a moment. You’ve got all these ladies who obviously have been unable to maintain a steady relationship with anyone else so far. Same for the guy. You think that under the spotlight of cameras capturing your every move, the fabricated dramatic environment and a few fairytale date scenarios that suddenly you’re going to find a relationship that will last for a lifetime?

The fact that these “beautiful people” can’t seem to attract or find a husband or wife ought to be enough of a warning sign that this is not a very good idea. If you can’t find love in real life, it’s sure not going to happen in prime-time television. And don’t even get me started on the whole fictitious concept of “reality TV.”

Somewhere during the course of this show I started humming the 80’s country song, “Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places.” Many men and women have no clue about love. Some have never received it, many have never given it. They’re looking for it, all right, but they’re looking in all the wrong places.

If you’re looking for love, my friend, let me introduce you to Someone who already has proven His great love for you. Someone who will never let you down, never disappoint and never put you to shame. His name is Jesus, and He laid down His life for you on the cross. You’ll never find a greater love than this; I don’t care what promises the bachelor or bachelorettes make. Receive His love today, and respond by loving Him with all that’s within you. I guarantee you’ll discover a love that is forever true and faithful.

They ought to make a show about that!