Lindsay Lohan's 'List of Lovers' Is Illustrative
The list contains 36 names. And Lindsay Lohan allegedly penned this list of her sexual conquests and shared it with her friends. For all we know, she never slept with anyone on the list. Or perhaps she slept with all of them. Either way, this story illustrates the emptiness of sex without love.
The human soul hungers for love from another soul. And the human body and mind are fully capable of lusting after other bodies in an attempt to find satisfaction. Love fulfills a person, while lust eventually burns you out.
The minute you start looking for love from more than one "lover," the floodgates get opened. Two can soon become three, and then five, and it can even move into double digits as in the case of the Lohan list. A "list of lovers" is typically just a "list of lusters." These were people for whom you experienced a brief period of lust, but when the deed was done, so was the "love."
It has been said that many men give "love" to get sex, and many women give sex to get "love." But when a lifetime commitment is missing, is it ever really love, or just plain old lust?
True love doesn't use others to satisfy selfish desires. Instead, it saves itself for one who will be committed for life. Without that lifetime commitment, how do you know if you have anything other than lust? A lifetime commitment comes from true love and a genuine desire for the other person's best interests.
A "lover's list" on the other hand is nothing more than a list of "uncontrolled spending." That is, spending of the body. Some people have lost control of their finances, while others have lost control of their sexuality. And when that sensual beast is let out of the cage, the numbers can pile up in a hurry.
God made man to experience an eternal relationship with our Creator, as well as a lifetime relationship with a spouse. Adam and Eve were the launching pad of this wonderful design. And ever since, husbands and wives have found deep spiritual, emotional, and physical oneness in the marriage relationship.
What can we learn from Lindsay Lohan's list? Whether that list is factual or not, we can be sure of this: A list of "lusters," be it two or twenty, will never satisfy the deep needs of the soul. We were made for more. And we long for more.
Why else would Lindsay continue her quest for "the holy grail" of sexual and spiritual intimacy with another human being? The list will likely grow until she chooses to address the deepest needs of her soul. This involves a relationship with Jesus Christ, as well as a lifelong relationship with a person of the opposite sex.
In other words, God didn't create you to produce your own "lusters list." That approach may work OK in the movies, but it will sure mess you up in real life. Lindsay's example is illustrative because it demonstrates the bottomless pit of lust. You never satisfy lust by feeding it. And you never satisfy your longing for emotional intimacy by giving away your body to a "partner's" lust for sex. Either way, a "lusters list" results in pain but no gain.
The solution? It is found in God's plan. A lifetime commitment between a man and a woman. And while marriage is always imperfect because it involves two imperfect people, it is still the best we've got right now. That's why millions of men and women have experienced deep satisfaction in this sacred union which God established.
Whether she realizes it or not, Lindsay Lohan has answered a provocative question for millions of young people who wonder, "Would I ever experience satisfaction by having multiple sexual partners?" You don't have to find out the hard way that there is a big difference between a "lover" and a "luster." If the person you are thinking about "hooking up" with is not willing to wait for marriage, what makes you think you are so special to that person in the first place? You might just be the latest "number" on their list.
So do you want to be a number, or a bride? Do you want to be a "luster," or a husband? When God made sex for marriage, He knew exactly what He was doing. Now if only we would recognize the difference between love and lust.
At the end of the day, (or on the morning after) what has a legacy of sexual conquests ever done to help one human soul find deep peace and spiritual contentment?