People Want to Be Loved by D.T. Powell

The world around us claims love in any form is a good thing. People repeat the mantra, “Love is love,” so
often that many truly believe it. As a result, people choose lifestyles contrary to God’s
Word—homosexuality, free love, open marriage, polygamy, transsexuality, bisexuality, and a host of
others that aren’t even related to sexuality—and justify those choices by saying all love is good and valid.
But is the claim, “Love is love” true?

For Christians, stepping into this conversation can be fear-inducing. Back in 2018, when I started writing
my upcoming Contemporary novel, With Mercy’s Eyes, I was afraid to put my name on it. This book
addresses the heart of the “Love is love” claim by bringing readers alongside a main character who’s just
lost his husband. Someone once asked me if writing from this perspective was difficult? In truth, I
consider With Mercy’s Eyes the easiest book I’ve ever written. Bringing humanity back to a de-humanized
subject was something God laid on my heart, so when I surrendered to that prompting, the words came
unhindered.

We ought not be afraid to address the assertion that all love is equal. Jesus wasn’t afraid to. John 15:19a
(KJV) tells us, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own.” And God’s Word goes on to say
in I John 2:15-16 (KJV), “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the
world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of
the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

These are just two instances where the Bible clearly says it’s possible to love something contrary to God
and His Word. In John 15:19, Jesus is speaking with his disciples in the upper room, just before His arrest
and crucifixion. He tells his followers that the world (the sin-filled world system in which we live) is fully
capable of love. But their love is given to things that do not glorify or please God.
I John 2:15-16 echoes this truth by telling us that loving “the world” and all the lust (overwhelmingly
strong desire) in it is not something that pleases God.

When we love something God hates, that love is not righteous love. Christians and non-Christians alike
are susceptible to this, so we all need to examine ourselves and see if our loves are in line with God’s
Word. That doesn’t mean we stop every person who claims an LGBTQ lifestyle, grab them by the collar,
and scream in their face, “You don’t love God!” (Not that there isn’t a time and place for confrontation,
but it isn’t as often as some may believe.) What personal, spiritual examination does mean is that we need
to individually spend time learning who God is and what He loves. Only with His help can we examine
our loves and determine whether our love is righteous.

God’s love is the love that satisfies. No person or object can ever fulfill humanity’s need for abiding, self-
sacrificing, unconditional love. Only when we’ve aligned our love with God’s are we prepared to help
others who’ve fallen into the lie that all love is equal. And once we’re in tune with the heart of God, we
can offer His mercy, His compassion, and His desire to redeem—not because we’re inherently better than
anyone else, but because we know just how powerful God’s saving grace is.

D. T. Powell grew up in a Christian home, loving books and reading.  Her daily habits include: reading dozens of pages, picking which book to read next, and archiving and listening to sacred music.

When she was nine, God sent a fictional character into her life who changed the way she looked at the world—and herself.

From then on, she wanted to show everyone what God had done for her, so she pursued an art degree… and was summarily kicked out of the program due to general lack of artistic talent.

Only after she graduated with a degree in business did she pick up the one utensil she had never thought to use, a pen. And she hasn’t put it down since.

To fill her writing day, she works on original stories, extensive fanfiction endeavors, and learning more about the craft of writing.

Her hobbies include hanging out with her husband and their three kitties, reading, playing pickleball, listening to music, and imagining scenes to use in future books.

She loves Psalm 126:5, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.”

You can find her at www.dtpowellwrites.com, on Instagram @dtill359, Facebook @D. T. Powell, Author, and Goodreads @D.T. Powell.