"Love Rightly Ordered"

"Virtue is love rightly ordered in our hearts." - St. Augustine

The word “desire” has taken on different expressions throughout history. Defined as “the longing or hope for” and “the conscious impulse toward something that promises enjoyment or satisfaction in its attainment,”1 desire is deeply rooted in us all. We use feelings of desire to motivate us toward a goal, find community, ignite passion and excitement, educate others, and find purpose in this life. However, the consequences of the Fall (Genesis 3) have left us in a perpetual cycle of seeking inner peace and searching for ways to satisfy our deepest longings that only God can fulfill. 

We start by looking to Scripture to understand human desire. Repeatedly, we see that God longs to “give [us] the desires of [our] hearts” (Psalm 37:4). Those who seek the Lord and delight themselves in him are promised satisfaction, desires granted, and ultimate joy (Proverbs 10:24, Matthew 5:6, Luke 6:21). Scripture is clear on how we are to obtain absolute satisfaction, and when, in eternity, we will (Proverbs 8:17, 1 John 2:15-17, Romans 2:6-8). However, our fallen nature deems that all human desire is misordered. 

To delight in the Lord requires diligence and self-discipline. St. Augustine acknowledges the human tendency to sin as “concupiscence”2. Through confession and baptism, we can receive the gift of grace that cleanses us of our sin. Our entire lives on this earth will be in the presence of concupiscence and forever be dependent on God’s grace (Romans 5:12).

St. Augustine’s theology helps us identify that we are all in need of reordering our desires in Christ. At the core of all human beings, we have the desire to love and be loved. Unfortunately, even believers in the church can forget where ultimate joy and satisfaction come from when faced with cultural norms and temptations. We must recognize we were all created to be fulfilled in Christ alone and allow him to direct our desires to their ultimate satisfaction found in the presence of God.