“Can’t Buy Me Love”

There are many young men (and some old ones too) who could have saved a lot of time, avoided a lot of heartache, and strengthened their financial position if they had only listened more carefully to the Beatles.

So many times wisdom comes from the most simplistic of sources.

You see, “Money can’t buy [you] love.” It can buy attention, opportunity, and companionship, but it can’t buy you love. Even then, those things are suspect and contingent on your ability to continue to afford them. But Love, the real stuff, is something that can’t be purchased.

Even though there are no songs about it, real love is also something that can’t be earned. Generally, the harder a young man tries to win the affection of a girl who has no interest in him, the less attracted she becomes.

Oh, there are cases where she eventually warms up to him because of his efforts, but more often is the case that she turns bitter and feels like she’s being stalked. (The latter not being a good feeling on which to build a relationship!)

Love is not something purchased or earned; it’s a gift that is given. Both in our relationships with people and with our creator:

The person who lives in right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for him. Doing things for God is the opposite of entering into what God does for you. Habakkuk [The Old Testament Prophet] had it right: “The person who believes God, is set right by God—and that’s the real life.”(Quoting Habakkuk 2:4) Rule-keeping does not naturally evolve into living by faith, but only perpetuates itself in more and more rule-keeping, a fact observed in Scripture: “The one who does these things [rule-keeping] continues to live by them.”(Quoting Leviticus 18:5) Galatians 3:11b-12 The Message

In the same way that you can’t buy the love of an individual, you can’t purchase or earn God’s favor. Paul argues not only that you can’t purchase it, but continually trying to earn God’s love gets you caught in a cycle that keeps you from giving God what He really wants: Faith. You can’t be “Set right” by your own efforts. The only effort that can set us right is that of Jesus and the benefits of his effort are not for sale.

So, Give God what He really wants. Put yourself a “right relationship with God by embracing what God arranges for” you. Don’t waste your energy or your money trying to attain what God offers us for free. Use it instead for celebrating your windfall and sharing it with others.

When it comes to faith, you “may not have a lot to give” but what you’ve got, Give it to God.