Well, it's here. The day you've either been dreading or practically peeing your pants about. For some it's Valentine's day; for others it's Single Awareness Day. I found myself singing songs by Mayer like, "Perfectly Lonely," thrown in with some of James Morrison songs [hey, don't judge my music tastes lest you be judged ;) lol]. But I know it's wrong for me to complain or mope today because there is really no reason for me to do so. With that said, I don't find it easy to be thankful and content this Feb. 14th, though I should. So how am I still so happy on a holiday most people loathe? By not focusing on Cupid, the naked baby with arrows that has magical powers. Like really? Today is a celebration of love. No, not the silly, fluffy stuff -- but something much, much greater. A love literally to die for.
Are you hungry or satisfied?
In Hebrews 13:5, we should be content with this simple fact: God will never leave or forsake you. Wow. Think about that for a second. The One who created us will never disappoint. He will never abandon or quit on us, because that's the kind of guy He is. Do you know of ANY other love like that? I doubt it. If you do, I am positive you will be left hungry for more love or even a different love. Ask yourself: Am I truly complacent? God wants us to fill ourselves with Him! :) What is His love like? His love is better than life (Psalm 63:3)? His compassion, grace, mercy, and love never cease (Psalm 145:8). In fact, His mercies are new every single morning (Lamentations 3:21-24). His anger is slow; His love abounds (Psalm 103:8). Nothing can seperate Christ's love for us (Romans 8:37-39). God is love (1 John 4:16). And guess what? He never, ever fails (1 Corinthians 13:8). Can you even comprehend all this? His love reaches to the heavens; His faithfulness to the skies (Psalm 36:5; 57:10; 108:4). Wow ... Crazy. Lovely. Insane. Wonderful. Love so amazing ... Jesus even calls us friends (John 15:14-15). Honestly, He should hate our very being for the sins we've committed. But that is false. Instead, He loves us so much that God sent His only son, Jesus, to save us from eternal damnation (John 3:16). He laid down His life for us, which is the greatest love that exists (John 15:13). If we love Him, His joy will find and fill us. If His joy fills us, then we're joyful (John 15:10-11). His joy fills us; His right hands presents pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11). God gives us the strength to carry on by dwelling in our hearts, rooting and grounding us in love, giving us a glimpse into His love, making us full with Jesus (Ephesians 3:16-19). We are never hungry with Him.
What do you hope for?
It's easy to place hope in a lot of things, especially relationships in today's society. It's probably possible that you've given up on hope altogether. But don't. The one thing that never lets you down is Jesus, no matter how times we've let Him down. Why should we place our faith in Him? Let's look at what Romans 5:1-5 says: "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." Alright, so you've answered those two boldfaced, underlined questions ... now what?
What's our job?
Simple: Imitate God and walk in love (Ephesians 5:1-2). Okay ... it's simple to phrase, difficult to tackle. God perfects His love in us (1 John 4:12), and as Christians, we shouldn't be hiding that light (Luke 11:33). Basically, every day should be Valentine's for Christians because we have a God who loves us unconditionally, all the time. We want it to be "evident to all" by being on guard, standing firm in the faith, being courageous, being strong, and doing "everything in love" (Philippians 4:5; 1 Corinthians 16:14). But one thing above all I think is a wonderful reminder ..............
Waiting
Trust me, I hate waiting with a passion. And, yes, sometimes, I hate waiting for some guy to walk into my life too (yes, if you haven't realized this yet, I'm a huge loser and I'm okay with that haha). But I don't hate waiting most of the time. Why? Because I want God to be the author of my love story. In Song of Solomon 2:7, we're warned, "Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires." Are you pressuring a relationship too far? Is it the right time? Does God approve?
Valentine's day is about love. For me, it's not about some bf/gf. It's about God's love, and sharing it with others. Today, I visited my grandma who is in the hospital. No, it's not easy, but oh how I love her! Valentine's day means loving on others and appreciating others. Did you know this day actually honors martyrs for Christ? That's love. I'm not saying we need to die to prove our love -- unless that's your call or something, but most likely not -- but to die to ourselves. I just mean we have to show His love, like loving not just your friends, family, and bf/gf, but your enemies too! That sort of love is lacking in the hurting world today. The world needs to see REAL love and TRUE love. Not the buttered up, fake love. So don't be like me, where I started the day off with complaints and sappy songs. Nobody likes those people! Let's rejoice in His love like every day is Valentine's day :) If you're having trouble with this, listen to Phil Wickham. He does a fabulous job of portraying His love for us with melody and lyrics :) And, of course, read the ultimate love letter: His word [http://beccawoll.blogspot.com/search/label/Letters%20from%20God]. May His love and peace be with you today.
Showing posts with label Preparing for Marriage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Preparing for Marriage. Show all posts
Monday, February 14, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Preparing for Your Future Spouse
Proverbs 24? Yeah, it's BRILLIANT and I think you should read the whole chapter :) Today, He pointed it out to me, and taught me how to prepare for my "life-long valentine." It's actually fitting, since V-day is around the corner ;) (I thought about saving this post for Valentine's day, but hey, since it's my parents' anniversary [Feb. 4th], I'm posting it anyways.) Here's the main body of the chapter:
"By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. A wise man is strong [...] and victory is won through many advisers [...] So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul; If you have found it, there is a prospect, And your hope will not be cut off. Prepare your outside work, Make it fit for yourself in the field; And afterward build your house. I went by the field of the lazy man, And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest -- and poverty with come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man."
(Proverbs 24:3-5;6; 14; 27; 30-34).
Okay, first, let's state (what should be) the obvious: we're all imperfect. Meaning we all need lots of work to become a better -- not perfect -- person. This Bible passage, to me, can relate extremely well to the dating/marriage/all relationships. I've broken down the gist of the passage below:
1) You're Kind of Stupid
Sorry, it's true. In some sense or another, we're not smart. In every relationship, there are some sort of disagreements and what you have to do is talk it out. Everyone has to do it! Whether that's a sibling, boyfriend/girlfriend, mother/son, mother/daughter, father/son, father/daughter, friend, aunt, uncle, cousin, enemy, your mother-in-law (jk) -- you name it! -- no relationship is perfect; they all take work (granted, some relationships work better, but that's beside the point). The fact is: relationships take work. To make them work, you have to communicate, and the best way to communicate effectively, is to use God's principles. The best way to utilize God's principles is to love, "for the entire law is fulfilled" by keeping that command (Galatians 5:14). Therefore, gain wisdom to love, as the first few verses in Proverbs 24 lay out. They are the ones who will reap "rare and beautiful treasures."
2) Keep an Open Heart
As I established in point one, if you gain knowledge, you learn to be like Him. If you're loving others the way God calls us to, then you're becoming like Him (so good job! :) Now in this Proverbs passage, it says if we find God's wisdom, "there is a prospect, And your hope will not be cut off." Prospect can mean a candidate (maybe a future hubby or wife?) or a future. These can be used interchangeably and still give you hope either way! God will not cut us off from hope because we know He has a future and a potential special someone for us. But we have to be willing to let him impart His wisdom to us. I know, personally, I always set my mind on potential partners (because I'm a loser hahaha). But what God really wants me to do is just let Him be the matchmaker. So what's my job, if I'm not picking the person?
3) Prepare Yourself
How? Well, let's look back to the lovely Proverbs passage again :) It says we need to prepare the fields! ............ For some reason, I feel like I'm quoting some Lord of the Rings character haha. What does making yourself fit for the field, and afterward building your house mean? It's a simple concept, but a difficult task. Remember when you were proud of yourself for going off the tricycles? It feels like a big moment in your life. It's not easy, but after lots of practice, you succeed. The results are satisfying and exciting! By preparing a field for a house, it means preparing yourself as someone else's support. To lay the groundwork for crops, you have to fertilize your soil (not to be taken prevertedly lol); make sure the crops will have enough oxygen, sun, and rain; watch for pollution, etc. Then assembling a house takes a LOT of work (trust me, my family knows!). In other words, you can't expect to build a house (marry) if you can't even take care of your own crops (control yourself). God wants YOU to be ready before He even gives you an option worth endeavouring about.
4) Don't be Lazy
God doesn't like lazy people (Proverbs 10:4; Matthew 25:26; Hebrews 6:12). That should be enough reason to not be lazy. But it doesn't stop there. We can see that if we neglect the fields because we're lazy, then you'll (1) lack understanding, (2) grow unhealthy habits that are hard to uproot, and (3) eventually come to ruins, ending up with nothing [poverty -- aka, no special someone for you because you're not ready!]. Even when we are ready, we still have to handle the crops -- marriage isn't some special cure for your lonliness, problems, etc. That all starts with Jesus.
With these in mind, I hope that it helps you prepare for the person God wants you to be -- not even for the ones you love the most -- but GOD. If we love and trust Him, He will show us his plan and prospects. It may be nothing like we're expecting, but it's for our best. The Bible says, "An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips" (Proverbs 24:26). So, be honest with yourself: How do your fields look?
"By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. A wise man is strong [...] and victory is won through many advisers [...] So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul; If you have found it, there is a prospect, And your hope will not be cut off. Prepare your outside work, Make it fit for yourself in the field; And afterward build your house. I went by the field of the lazy man, And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest -- and poverty with come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man."
(Proverbs 24:3-5;6; 14; 27; 30-34).
Okay, first, let's state (what should be) the obvious: we're all imperfect. Meaning we all need lots of work to become a better -- not perfect -- person. This Bible passage, to me, can relate extremely well to the dating/marriage/all relationships. I've broken down the gist of the passage below:
1) You're Kind of Stupid
Sorry, it's true. In some sense or another, we're not smart. In every relationship, there are some sort of disagreements and what you have to do is talk it out. Everyone has to do it! Whether that's a sibling, boyfriend/girlfriend, mother/son, mother/daughter, father/son, father/daughter, friend, aunt, uncle, cousin, enemy, your mother-in-law (jk) -- you name it! -- no relationship is perfect; they all take work (granted, some relationships work better, but that's beside the point). The fact is: relationships take work. To make them work, you have to communicate, and the best way to communicate effectively, is to use God's principles. The best way to utilize God's principles is to love, "for the entire law is fulfilled" by keeping that command (Galatians 5:14). Therefore, gain wisdom to love, as the first few verses in Proverbs 24 lay out. They are the ones who will reap "rare and beautiful treasures."
2) Keep an Open Heart
As I established in point one, if you gain knowledge, you learn to be like Him. If you're loving others the way God calls us to, then you're becoming like Him (so good job! :) Now in this Proverbs passage, it says if we find God's wisdom, "there is a prospect, And your hope will not be cut off." Prospect can mean a candidate (maybe a future hubby or wife?) or a future. These can be used interchangeably and still give you hope either way! God will not cut us off from hope because we know He has a future and a potential special someone for us. But we have to be willing to let him impart His wisdom to us. I know, personally, I always set my mind on potential partners (because I'm a loser hahaha). But what God really wants me to do is just let Him be the matchmaker. So what's my job, if I'm not picking the person?
3) Prepare Yourself
How? Well, let's look back to the lovely Proverbs passage again :) It says we need to prepare the fields! ............ For some reason, I feel like I'm quoting some Lord of the Rings character haha. What does making yourself fit for the field, and afterward building your house mean? It's a simple concept, but a difficult task. Remember when you were proud of yourself for going off the tricycles? It feels like a big moment in your life. It's not easy, but after lots of practice, you succeed. The results are satisfying and exciting! By preparing a field for a house, it means preparing yourself as someone else's support. To lay the groundwork for crops, you have to fertilize your soil (not to be taken prevertedly lol); make sure the crops will have enough oxygen, sun, and rain; watch for pollution, etc. Then assembling a house takes a LOT of work (trust me, my family knows!). In other words, you can't expect to build a house (marry) if you can't even take care of your own crops (control yourself). God wants YOU to be ready before He even gives you an option worth endeavouring about.
4) Don't be Lazy
God doesn't like lazy people (Proverbs 10:4; Matthew 25:26; Hebrews 6:12). That should be enough reason to not be lazy. But it doesn't stop there. We can see that if we neglect the fields because we're lazy, then you'll (1) lack understanding, (2) grow unhealthy habits that are hard to uproot, and (3) eventually come to ruins, ending up with nothing [poverty -- aka, no special someone for you because you're not ready!]. Even when we are ready, we still have to handle the crops -- marriage isn't some special cure for your lonliness, problems, etc. That all starts with Jesus.
With these in mind, I hope that it helps you prepare for the person God wants you to be -- not even for the ones you love the most -- but GOD. If we love and trust Him, He will show us his plan and prospects. It may be nothing like we're expecting, but it's for our best. The Bible says, "An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips" (Proverbs 24:26). So, be honest with yourself: How do your fields look?
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