Note: This is just how I use these verses to apply to my "dating" life. Taking it out of context? No, just using it for a specific thing in my life that helps me to stay on track with Christ.
1. Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong (1)
2. Trust in the Lord (3)(5)
3. Delight yourself in the Lord (4)
4. Commit your way to the Lord (5)
5. Be still before the Lord/Wait patiently for Him (7)
6. Wait for the Lord and keep His way (34)
I don't know about you, but as a Christian who is determined to follow Christ, I believe that it is harder to meet single people who are "datable." For me, "datable" men must meet the criteria of one who has a personal relationship with Him. This is the most important criteria, and one that must be met before I can even consider dating them.
Due to this, I am learning to wait on God to bring the right man to me, if that be His will for me. I am commited to waiting for someone who is dedicated to Christ. If I never meet that mutual attraction with that strong Godly foundation, I will remain single. The truth is that if I never find that, I will choose to follow Christ all the same.
I used to take things into my own hands. I used to not guard my heart and dated men who were not Christian (and Christian meaning one who follows Christ). No longer. I know that I can never be with a man who does not desire Christ, that does not have Him first and all else second. I would rather be single for the rest of my life than to go my own way and marry a man who does not love Christ as I do.
This leads to not fretting or being envious of those who do wrong: sometimes I find myself envious of the fact that non-christians can date just about anyone that crosses their path, so long as they are attracted to each other, they can start a relationship. As for me, I must deny myself and take up my cross daily. I have to "deny myself" when I see someone who I am attracted to and they are not a Christian because I know that that is not God's plan for me, nor His will for my life if I am aiming to follow Him.
In doing this, I must trust in the Lord: trust the He knows what is best for me and what my "status" in life in terms of being married/single needs to be in order to serve in His plan. We are not here on earth for ourselves, but for Him. Trusting can be one of the most difficult things when it comes to dating. Many questions arise that cause us to be fearful: What if we never meet the one? What if I have to be "alone" the rest of my life? What if I can't have the family I have always wanted? What if God doesn't give me the desires of my heart? (And also, to work through the "pressures" one often has as a single person to be married, and to deal with the questions from others as to why one is not yet married, often making one think that something must be "wrong" with them to not be, when this is certainly not the case!).
For me, I must confess, it is hard for me to understand the ways of the Lord. One person says they don't really care if they get married, and they fall in love and end up doing so. Another longs to be married and God still has them remain single. I don't understand this. If only I could see from God's point of view! Yet then, would I have the need to trust Him? And this is it...God wants us to trust Him.
In everything, God is what we need. Being married won't make you content. If you are not content now as a single, what makes you think that you will be content when you are married? There are blessings in being single as well as in being married; there are also hardships that come with each of these status' in life. Learning to be content in everything, as Paul talked about, is key. This is one of the things that I most desire for myself; this is something that I work on in my life.
We are called to delight ourselves in the Lord. Our life on this earth should be lived seeking Christ; to know Him. As Paul said "Everything is a loss compared to the greatness of knowing God" (Phil 3:7). No one can fill the "hole" in our heart. Even when married, the person we love will disappoint us and let us down. They will not always be there for us. They won't always understand us. They won't be able to fill that "God" place in our heart.
In commiting our way to the Lord we tell Him that we trust what He is doing. Do we really believe Him to be the great God of the Bible-able to do all things? We are called to be still before Him, to wait patiently on Him. We don't like to wait. We want it, and we want it now. We have very little patience. But God calls us to wait patiently on Him.
So what do we do with our desires when it seems that God isn't fulfilling them? For me, that is often a tough thing to get through-the fact that I have desires and don't know if God will fulfill them here on this earth.
I sometimes act in ways that do not show that I am being content with where I am. For the most part, I am. I didn't used to be. I used to mope around, wondering why I wasn't the one who was going on a date on a Friday night. And then, many times, I was going on dates...all with the wrong people. Yet I have found that I am learning to be content in the life that God has blessed me with, and becoming more accepting of the fact that "our ways our not His ways" and that He gives us what is good.
Whatever He gives me in this life, I want to be content. I want to learn and trust that what He does is to further His kingdom and that He chooses the things that I need. I know that I for one often think I want something and then, when I get it, I no longer want it. I thought I did, and then found out that it wasn't. Because of this, I want to trust in the power of God who knows all things and loves me.
I also learned through past relationships that a relationship is not better than no relationship. If the relationship is not God centered, then I don't want it. I may desire to be in one, but it has to be with a man who is seeking Christ in His life. In this I pray that God will bring me peace, contentment, and patience.
And I believe that if it is meant to be, then God will take me down the road to meeting the man that He has for me. I can't mess that up. If it is meant to be, then it will happen.
I desire to be in a relationship, but I will not put that desire before God and what He asks of me. I know we can often feel that we as singles are the "left out" ones, but God gives us seasons in our lives for a reason. We just don't often know what these reasons are. We struggle to find our place in a world that isn't often understanding of one being single, or one remaining in that stage for a long period of time. As for us in that situation, we long to be loved. That certain kind of love. Yet, as we wait, may we fall upon the love of Christ. This is the love that will sustain us and take us through all of our life, single or not. I pray that we may accept this gift that God has given us and not waste it pining away in grief. Sure, we will have our lonely moments, our questioning moments...but so long as we take it to God on our knees and trust that He will work everything out to His perfect will. And in all this I desire that all of this will take me closer to knowing Him.
Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Romans 12:1,2
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Mark 8:34
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Galations 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Philippians 3:14
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
1. Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong (1)
2. Trust in the Lord (3)(5)
3. Delight yourself in the Lord (4)
4. Commit your way to the Lord (5)
5. Be still before the Lord/Wait patiently for Him (7)
6. Wait for the Lord and keep His way (34)
I don't know about you, but as a Christian who is determined to follow Christ, I believe that it is harder to meet single people who are "datable." For me, "datable" men must meet the criteria of one who has a personal relationship with Him. This is the most important criteria, and one that must be met before I can even consider dating them.
Due to this, I am learning to wait on God to bring the right man to me, if that be His will for me. I am commited to waiting for someone who is dedicated to Christ. If I never meet that mutual attraction with that strong Godly foundation, I will remain single. The truth is that if I never find that, I will choose to follow Christ all the same.
I used to take things into my own hands. I used to not guard my heart and dated men who were not Christian (and Christian meaning one who follows Christ). No longer. I know that I can never be with a man who does not desire Christ, that does not have Him first and all else second. I would rather be single for the rest of my life than to go my own way and marry a man who does not love Christ as I do.
This leads to not fretting or being envious of those who do wrong: sometimes I find myself envious of the fact that non-christians can date just about anyone that crosses their path, so long as they are attracted to each other, they can start a relationship. As for me, I must deny myself and take up my cross daily. I have to "deny myself" when I see someone who I am attracted to and they are not a Christian because I know that that is not God's plan for me, nor His will for my life if I am aiming to follow Him.
In doing this, I must trust in the Lord: trust the He knows what is best for me and what my "status" in life in terms of being married/single needs to be in order to serve in His plan. We are not here on earth for ourselves, but for Him. Trusting can be one of the most difficult things when it comes to dating. Many questions arise that cause us to be fearful: What if we never meet the one? What if I have to be "alone" the rest of my life? What if I can't have the family I have always wanted? What if God doesn't give me the desires of my heart? (And also, to work through the "pressures" one often has as a single person to be married, and to deal with the questions from others as to why one is not yet married, often making one think that something must be "wrong" with them to not be, when this is certainly not the case!).
For me, I must confess, it is hard for me to understand the ways of the Lord. One person says they don't really care if they get married, and they fall in love and end up doing so. Another longs to be married and God still has them remain single. I don't understand this. If only I could see from God's point of view! Yet then, would I have the need to trust Him? And this is it...God wants us to trust Him.
In everything, God is what we need. Being married won't make you content. If you are not content now as a single, what makes you think that you will be content when you are married? There are blessings in being single as well as in being married; there are also hardships that come with each of these status' in life. Learning to be content in everything, as Paul talked about, is key. This is one of the things that I most desire for myself; this is something that I work on in my life.
We are called to delight ourselves in the Lord. Our life on this earth should be lived seeking Christ; to know Him. As Paul said "Everything is a loss compared to the greatness of knowing God" (Phil 3:7). No one can fill the "hole" in our heart. Even when married, the person we love will disappoint us and let us down. They will not always be there for us. They won't always understand us. They won't be able to fill that "God" place in our heart.
In commiting our way to the Lord we tell Him that we trust what He is doing. Do we really believe Him to be the great God of the Bible-able to do all things? We are called to be still before Him, to wait patiently on Him. We don't like to wait. We want it, and we want it now. We have very little patience. But God calls us to wait patiently on Him.
So what do we do with our desires when it seems that God isn't fulfilling them? For me, that is often a tough thing to get through-the fact that I have desires and don't know if God will fulfill them here on this earth.
I sometimes act in ways that do not show that I am being content with where I am. For the most part, I am. I didn't used to be. I used to mope around, wondering why I wasn't the one who was going on a date on a Friday night. And then, many times, I was going on dates...all with the wrong people. Yet I have found that I am learning to be content in the life that God has blessed me with, and becoming more accepting of the fact that "our ways our not His ways" and that He gives us what is good.
Whatever He gives me in this life, I want to be content. I want to learn and trust that what He does is to further His kingdom and that He chooses the things that I need. I know that I for one often think I want something and then, when I get it, I no longer want it. I thought I did, and then found out that it wasn't. Because of this, I want to trust in the power of God who knows all things and loves me.
I also learned through past relationships that a relationship is not better than no relationship. If the relationship is not God centered, then I don't want it. I may desire to be in one, but it has to be with a man who is seeking Christ in His life. In this I pray that God will bring me peace, contentment, and patience.
And I believe that if it is meant to be, then God will take me down the road to meeting the man that He has for me. I can't mess that up. If it is meant to be, then it will happen.
I desire to be in a relationship, but I will not put that desire before God and what He asks of me. I know we can often feel that we as singles are the "left out" ones, but God gives us seasons in our lives for a reason. We just don't often know what these reasons are. We struggle to find our place in a world that isn't often understanding of one being single, or one remaining in that stage for a long period of time. As for us in that situation, we long to be loved. That certain kind of love. Yet, as we wait, may we fall upon the love of Christ. This is the love that will sustain us and take us through all of our life, single or not. I pray that we may accept this gift that God has given us and not waste it pining away in grief. Sure, we will have our lonely moments, our questioning moments...but so long as we take it to God on our knees and trust that He will work everything out to His perfect will. And in all this I desire that all of this will take me closer to knowing Him.
Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Romans 12:1,2
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Mark 8:34
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Galations 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Philippians 3:14
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.