I wrote an article for Christianity.com this week, reflecting upon TV shows like “The Bachelor” and our culture’s quest for finding (or watching) love in the exhilarating moments of life. Even in the church, we often prefer to be entertained by love (almost like watching a sporting event) instead of sharing and experiencing the love of Christ in service to others. Whether single or married, how can we experience greater love in our relationships with others?  Here’s an excerpt:

From the looks of my Facebook news feed, a new season of The Bachelor has begun. I’ve never watched the show on a regular basis, but from the portions I’ve seen, it appears that each season progresses with increasingly wonderful dates to exotic locations. From the moments I’ve watched I always find myself wondering, Who wouldn’t fall in love in these circumstances? I’m pretty certain I could enjoy most anyone’s company while sailing on a yacht, watching the sunset, or eating a gourmet meal. The wonderment of an experience can easily heighten our opinion of the person with whom it is shared.

A better test for finding love would be to set these contestants up in the mundane circumstances of life. Perhaps have them paint a room together or clean out a garage. Maybe set them in a situation where they need to plan a birthday party and entertain ten children on a tight budget. How would they get along while changing diapers or hanging curtains? Would love grow in the stresses and circumstances of a normal life?

As a society, we’ve become more enthralled with falling in love than keeping the home fires burning. We dream of weddings, not marriage. We’re more concerned with exhilarating moments than finding fulfillment in the mundane. What man can compete with a bachelor who has plenty of time to work out, money to spare, and who is offered every enticement to impress the multiple women knocking at his door?

To continue reading, visit Christianity.com.