“The Fire of Love” Print

“The Fire of Love”

Knowing of God Isn’t the Same as Knowing Him

Growing up in a Christian household doesn’t guarantee a relationship with God.

You may know of Him — but that doesn’t mean you know Him.

This is the story of a young man raised in a church-going family. Christianity was the foundation of his upbringing. He went through the motions — Sunday services, prayers, rituals — but it was just that: routine. He knew the name of God, but not His heart.

As he entered his teenage years, life began to unravel. The struggles many teens face — identity, hormones, pressure — began to escalate. Temptation crept in, and lust took root. It wasn’t just a fleeting battle; it became an addiction. One that overtook him so completely, he no longer felt in control of his own body. Depression followed. Disassociation. A deep hopelessness.

He didn’t want to die — he just didn’t know how to live.

So instead of taking his life, he turned to self-harm. It was the only way he knew to dull the emotional torment.

Addiction doesn’t always wear the face we expect.

It’s not just alcohol, drugs, or cigarettes.

It can be lust, pornography, emotional eating — anything we use to numb pain that only God can heal.

But one day, something shifted.

He had a moment — a real moment — where he remembered a dream from childhood. A vision God had given him as a boy. In that dream, he felt warmth. Compassion. Beauty. Love that transcended words. A presence so real, it felt like eternity.

And in that moment, the Lord whispered:

“I wouldn’t have given you that vision if I planned on giving up on you.”

Something broke. Something healed.

Suddenly, he felt in control again. Love washed over him. He wept.

From that moment on, he sought the One who saved him. He studied, searched, and cried out to understand who this God was — the God who broke his chains and covered him in mercy.

And God answered.

“Seek, and you shall find.”

Now, he doesn’t just know of God — he knows Him.

He walks in relationship with Him.

And now, he reaches out to those still lost in the darkness he once knew so well.

God is merciful. Compassionate.

His love is undying — everlasting.

He is love.

And His love… is unconditional.