The one true God is infinite. Unlike us humans, He is unbound by space and time. In fact, time did not exist until He created it, when He decided that “evening and morning” would constitute one day. How He could always have existed and that no one created Him is beyond what our finite minds can fathom. Yet He was, is and always will be.
Having grown up with a strong biblical foundation, I allowed my limerence to be strengthened with religious fervor. When I heard “God loves you unconditionally,” I directed unconditional love toward the one I called My Sweet Beloved. My favorite Christian songs were the ones I could sing about him from the depths of my heart. They sang of unending, undying love that is persistent and transcendent and never gave up in the midst of great suffering.
In other words, I tried to act like my love for My Sweet Beloved was infinite, just as God’s love is toward me. But it is not possible for a finite being to love infinitely, especially toward someone who will never feel the same. Eventually, I gave up because I could no longer live with the madness. I turned toward my gracious heavenly Father instead, who welcomed me with a joyful heart and a warm embrace.
The Three Omnis
For a basic understanding of God’s infinite nature, He is often described as the three omnis. That is, He is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent.
Omniscient means God is all-knowing. Nothing happens without His knowledge and there is no topic on which He is not an expert. His omniscience assures us that He sees the bigger picture of events. No matter who the person, He knows his or her innermost thoughts, and no matter what the situation, He knows the way forward.
God’s omnipresence, His ability to be everywhere at once, is especially comforting because we know He is always with us. In happy times, hard times, hopeful times and horrible times, He is here to help us stand and keep following Him. Or if we cannot stand, He carries us until enough strength has returned for us to walk on our own again.
Finally, God is omnipotent, which means He is all-powerful. This can sting sometimes because we know He can make our dreams come true instantly, but He chooses not to. He could grant us requited love from our limerence objects, but He is working out His better plans instead. When we choose to trust Him, He will encourage us daily that this temporary sting is worth enduring for the joy that is set before us. (2 Corinthians 4:17)
Love That Exceeds Our Expectations
We generally understand love to be a give and take relationship. Both parties give and receive affection and their bond grows mutually accordingly. Of course, this is a luxury most of those who experience limerence find very hard to obtain. Perhaps at first the limerence seems to be mutual, but quickly it becomes clear that it is one-sided. Then, tragically, neither party’s expectations are met.
The love of God, however, is completely unconditional and unlimited. His love reaches to the heavens and beyond, to all of creation. (Psalm 108:4) We may have filled the earth, but we have yet to reach the end of the universe because it is so vast. I’m no expert on astronomy, but I’m not certain its end truly exists.
God did not wait for us to love Him back like we find ourselves waiting for our limerence objects. He came to rescue us even though many of our actions were deeply offensive and irreverent to Him. His love exceeds all our expectations, because He loves us infinitely.
In Ephesians 3:18-19 the apostle Paul prays that we “may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Not only does this verse declare Christ’s amazing love, but also it promises that we will be filled by it. God has enough love to fill to overflowing every person who has ever lived, ever will live, and more.
A Promise Made: Wherever You Go
As Jesus ascended to Heaven, He gave His disciples a promise to which they could cling in times of trouble. Both to those alive at the time and to us today, He assured them, “I will be with you to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)
To feelings of loneliness He answers, “You are not alone. You have never been alone and will never be alone, because I am with you wherever you go.” (Genesis 28:15) To fear of abandonment He promises, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5b) In moments where we are tempted to give up, He renews our strength and “lifts us up on wings like eagles.” (Isaiah 40:31)
Our God is intimately aware of your suffering and will never leave you to go through it alone. He is near you wherever you go. His infinite love and omnipresence make it so.
The Promise Kept: Holy Spirit Sent
Though Jesus physically left the earth, He sent His Holy Spirit to guide and comfort us. We find wisdom, encouragement and revelation of truth from the Spirit’s work in our lives. (Isaiah 11:2)
The existence of the Holy Spirit itself is evidence of God’s infinite nature, as one of three parts of the Holy Trinity. “Three in one” is something our minds cannot fully grasp, but we know nonetheless certainly that God is a triune God. (1 Corinthians 8:6)
Because the Spirit descended to us, God is both in Heaven and on earth, again demonstrating His omnipresence. God the Father sits on His heavenly throne, with His beloved Son Jesus Christ at His right hand. (Psalm 47:8, Acts 7:55-56) God the Holy Spirit dwells within us, communicating to us the Father’s will and interceding for us when we don’t have the words to pray. (Romans 8:26-27)
The Spirit also lights the way for us to follow, one step at a time. (Galatians 5:25) He will lovingly exhort us to let go of dreams that have become unhealthy obsessions and addictions. Or He may call us to do things we never would have imagined ourselves doing, even things we would have shuddered to think. For me this was breaking the promise I had made to love My Sweet Beloved forever.
While this hurts and sometimes feels like the death of our own selves, it leads to life everlasting. (Luke 9:23-24) The Spirit’s sanctifying work and the prize toward which we run are like a gold mine compared to the mere pennies of requited human affection.
Infinity Motivates Humility
Considering how all-knowing, present-in-every-place and unlimitedly powerful God is, there is only one appropriate response: humility. Put simply, He is God and we are not – and thank God we are not! His omniscience gives Him the ability to work everything out for the best. His omnipresence makes it possible for Him to be with all of us at the same time. Because He is omnipotent, nothing is impossible for Him.
So helping you go of your limerence object is as easy for Him as it was for you to fall for that person. However, being able to let go for good takes a humble heart that truly wants His will to be done in your life. “Humble yourselves before the Lord,” James 4:10 says, “and He will exalt you.”
He wants to help you, but you have to be willing to let Him. Once you do, nothing will be impossible for you, as you strive to follow Him more closely every day. (Matthew 19:26) In His omniscience He will give you wisdom to discern what to do and what not to do. His omnipresence will give you hope when you feel alone or like you can’t take any more heartbreak. (Psalm 34:18) And His omnipotence will work in you to strengthen you and heal you so you are ready for whatever He wants you to do next. (Jeremiah 33:6, 9)
