Let’s Talk about Love and Kisses

Daily Devotional: Day 100

“Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.” Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him” (Matthew 26: 48-49, NKJV).

Not every kiss is a kiss of love. Jesus found out the hard way. His own disciple whom He called, loved, fed, protected, empowered and served for at least three years, betrayed Him to the Jewish and Roman authorities. Consciously or unconsciously, people often have a reason or motive for the things they do or do not do.

Motives can be pure or impure, godly or ungodly. Recognizing the difference isn’t always easy. If, however, you give it sufficient time, people’s true motives eventually become clear. This happens even in the sphere of love.

Jesus is Love. That fateful night in the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas betrayed the Lord of Love; and he did so with a kiss. Judas perverted the gesture of love and turned it into a weapon of betrayal. Those who supposedly ‘love’ you are at times the very ones who can turn against you in a beat and throw you to the wolves. What happened to Jesus is a lesson for us all because the stories in the Bible are there for our instruction (cf. Romans 15:4).

While you cannot avoid dealing with people, it is important that you keep your eyes open always. Do not fall for every smile, every hug and every kiss. ‘Judases’ exist everywhere – even in the house of God. As a child of the Father, God wants you to be loving, but not at the expense of wisdom and discernment. God doesn’t want you to shut your eyes and miss the writing on the wall. What happened to Jesus can happen to all of us. That is why we need to be discerning when it comes to the relationships we forge. You have only one heart, so it is important who you bring close to your chest. 

Many people, blinded by ‘love,’ have had their hearts terribly broken because they were in denial and refused to acknowledge the obvious. It is important that we watch and pray so that we can recognize the ‘Judas’ in our life before it is too late.

The peace of Christ be with you!

Prayer:

Father, give me a spirit of discernment. Open my eyes to see and my ears to hear. In my going and coming, protect me from the snares of the enemy. In the Name of Jesus, I pray.

For further study: Genesis 37:1-36