I have always thought that having a man in my life was that which would “fulfill” me in Jesus. So at those times in my life when I haven’t had a mate I went out looking for “the one” to fill that role in my life. Many years, and relationships later, have left me unfulfilled both emotionally and Spiritually in this area of my life.
But here I am going to begin a dialogue on how a Christian person of any age who finds themself either single or single again can truly be fulfilled in all areas of their life. Fulfillment doesn’t come from having another person to share your life. It comes from knowing your place in the family of God and living your life according to His plan. And I believe it is a part of God’s plan for most of us to be happily married, but to partners of His choosing, not our own.
So many are the mistakes of our youth, especially when we haven’t chosen to follow Jesus as our Savior and Lord. Although I grew up in a Christian family and went to church each time the door was open, I was not a true believer until just after my 25th birthday. Also, my parents had no training in the Biblical Courtship model with which to “train up” their children. So when it came to relationships with the opposite sex we were not well educated.
I also had no one I felt I could trust to confide in, nor did I feel the need to confide in anyone where matters of the heart were concerned. I was an adult, so I knew it all. At least I thought I did. So when it came to men, and a lot of other decisions in my life, I made very poor ones. I “fell in Love” and married three men who were abusive in a number of ways. And although I am not an advocate of divorce, I felt I had God’s permission to divorce each of the men for reasons that are not a part of this discussion, so I will not be discussing them here. Maybe that is a topic for another book or article at a later date.
I had always thought I believed in marriage being once and for all time. Now I know I have the belief and conviction that marriage is to be a once in a lifetime event. And when God blesses me with the mate He has chosen for me it will be just that in my life!
Genesis 2:24 says; “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”
God hates divorce, and if we are committed to following His path for our lives we shouldn’t have this word in our vocabulary, let alone practice it. Moses did allow the Israelites to write a bill of divorcement for certain offenses, but not as a general practice. And it was never God’s plan.
I know we have all made mistakes, and if we have repented (turned our backs on them and totally change directions and ways of doing things). Then God says we are new creatures. As new creatures we have new beginning and can learn new ways of doing things. This new way of finding the right life mate, husband or wife, is what I am proposing to share with you in the pages ahead. So let’s dig in and get on with it.
First I want you to find a partner of the same sex to share this journey with, some one who is both wise and understanding. Someone who is more mature in their walk with Jesus than you are at present, but who you feel can share God’s wisdom with you as you travel this path together. They should have a solid Christ-based marriage. This person will be your spiritual mentor through this new Journey, and quite possibly throughout the rest of your life. This person should also be a person of leadership who is solidly grounded in the Word and to whom you will not be afraid to “spill you guts” on any and every subject, and I do mean every, subject. This is because you will need to talk at length through much of what we are going to share in this journey to God’s choosing the right mate for you. So choose wisely and well.
I think this is a sound Biblical practice due to the words of Peter in 1 Peter 5:5, “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all [of you] be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.” And also the words of the Apostle Paul in Titus 2:3-6 NIV (parenthesis/italics mine), “Likewise teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine (or other substances), but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self controlled and pure, to be busy at home. To be kind, and to be subject (submissive) to their husbands, so that no one will malign the Word of God. Similarly, encourage the younger men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness, and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.”
I truly feel that this training and teaching should happen in our teen and early twenties, however some of us have missed out on it either due to lack of Godly examples or because of our own acts of willfulness. What ever the case may be has no bearing on the fact that we can and should learn these things now. So I am going to share with you what God has been sharing with me in the last few years. Right here I like for us to consider a some scripture verses that have gotten me through the many struggles of this new life in Jesus; “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31. This waiting is a two fold waiting. It is not just waiting for God to do something in you. It is simultaneously a waiting for God and a waiting on God. We all know what it means to wait FOR God, but what does it mean to wait ON God. This waiting on God is performing acts of ministry in His name for the benefit of others. This can be an actual job in the church or just meeting the needs of those in your family or church body by donating your time to them. Cooking a meal, watching their children, etc. The ministry possibilities are endless. And having an active ministry can be a valuable part of following God’s plan for Him choosing our life marriage partner.
The other is in Jeremiah 29:11-13 “For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me.” God has planned our lives in their entirety from before the world was created. He has good plans for each of us. But we have to earnestly seek His face.
Seeking a holy life in Jesus, committed to being submitted to His “will” and “plan” for you is the place where a life long marriage commitment starts. You must first be seeking to follow “hard after” Him and take that close walk with Him into your future relationship with your friend who will ultimately become that life long mate. We must learn to be content in our relationship with Jesus. Seeking to always draw nearer to Him in order to learn how to relate in our future marriage relationship. Standing on the Higher Ground with Jesus is the only place to start. And as we follow Him Higher and Higher still, He can direct us to the perfect mate He has chosen for us.
So, if you have blown it in past relationships or marriages and now find yourself single again, God still has the perfect plan for the rest of your life. If you are in need of repentance, you can fall on your face before God right where you are and confess your sins to Him, ask for His forgiveness and make a change in your heart, mind and life to live from today forward according to His plan for you.
Now if you are ready to begin this journey to the marriage partner of the rest of your life, I want to share something I feel is crucial for you to understand before we begin. Jesus has chosen the “perfect mate” for you. He knew everything about your life before it began and chose the right husband/wife for you from the beginning of time. I think scripture bears this “perfect mate” theory out in the story of Rebekah and Isaac in Genesis 24:12-21. This is where Abraham’s servant went to Abraham’s hometown to find a wife for Isaac. He was standing outside of town at the well praying that God direct him to “the girl.” This passage says God answered his prayer before he finished praying.
Even if your mistakes have taken you through wrong relationships because you weren’t taught, or didn’t learn, how to find God’s perfect mate its not too late. There is still time to learn and follow the tried and proven method to live a married life abundantly full of the “Joy of the Lord.” And while I won’t promise you “happily ever after,” I will say you can have a marriage “made in heaven” instead of being “made in Taiwan.”
Now, if you are married this blog is NOT for you. It is strictly intended to help single people to find God’s choice of a life long marriage partner. So if you are married, you should look to your pastor or spiritual advisor for counseling on how to make the partner you have “the one.” There is much you still can do to correct what may be wrong in your current marriage without divorcing. Look to God and Godly counsel to help you begin down the road to a more blissful marriage.
Please stay tuned for what lies ahead on this Journey to “the mate of God’s choosing” in your life and in mine.
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