Lust is something that can never be satisfied. You always want more and more, it's never enough. Lust takes but doesn't give. If you're in lust for someone, you take what they have to offer and give nothing in return. No thanks, no favors, no surprises to melt their heart the way they long to melt yours. Lust is a dirty thing, that will never have the capacity to fill your spirits.
Love, on the other hand, is something that can be satisfied. Love is giving. Love is truly wanting nothing more than the loved to be happy, no matter what the cost. Love is fulfilling to the heart, it's always enough. It feels complete to love if it's really love. It is satisfying, willing, and selfless. Love is a beautiful thing that no other feeling on earth can compromise.
The difference between love and lust is easy to see if you know the difference. For example, try giving someone everything they ask for, and everything beyond what they ask for. If they return the favors, they love you. If they keep asking for more than what you are already giving, they lust you.
Lust doesn't always have to be a sexual term. Love isn't a word that should be gently tossed around, because it is so much more than just a word. It's a beautiful feeling that any person is lucky to come across more than once in their life. These are two of the most powerful and meaningful words in the english language, that could be used to describe a feeling, a relationship, or a complete lifestyle. Don't let someone lust after you and call it love. In the same way, don't continue to say you love the one who only lusts after you.
It's good to spread love, yes. My life is full of trying to share as much love and the idea of it as I possibly can every day. But it's not good to throw around the term as if it's a simple concept. It's not good to think you're in love with someone who is in lust.
I have taken a step back after learning these concepts to realize that I have been doing this for far too long. Had I known the difference sooner, I would have saved myself a lot of heartache and confusion. Although it hurts to know that I have not been loved but lusted by the one I call a soulmate for so long, I am glad I know why it hasn't been working out, and I thank God for this experience. I gave a little too much and always questioned why I didn't get anything in return, it's simply because I was in a love vs lust relationship.
A word of advice: Take a closer look at your relationship before you become too far gone.
-xo
