Category: Preparation for Marriage

You might wonder why God placed the desire to be married in your heart when you don’t have a significant man in your life yet. This is no doubt a question on the minds of many Christian single women. We know that God requires us to have faith, and this means that our minds and hearts must get onboard with His incredible grace, mercy, power, and love. Foundational to building your faith is the knowledge that God desires your happiness in life and marriage more than you do for yourself. You must believe this truth wholeheartedly, but many single Christian women are struggling with it. They’ve been praying for a husband for a long time, and they are not understanding why they continue to have to wait.

Ephesians 1:11(NLT) tells us, “Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.” God predestined us long before we were born. He chose each of us to be His children, and He has a plan for our lives. We can be confident that this plan includes the person He has ordained to be our spouse. We must have fully persuaded faith in this, and the reality of God’s good plan for us must be cemented in our minds and hearts.

It’s true that as responsible brothers and sisters in Christ, we must be spiritually prepared to steward the blessing we are praying to receive. This is a truth we often overlook, and it is the biggest reason we feel we’re experiencing a delay. God requires us to be good stewards of His blessings, and this is especially true when it comes to the treasure of another’s heart. When it comes to being someone’s partner for life, many of us haven’t invested the time to strengthen our weaknesses and sharpen our strengths. We’re the same today as we were a year ago, and that’s not a good look for spiritual maturity in Christ.

To be a good steward of God’s blessings means that we are capable and responsible for overseeing the care and good management of the blessing we’ve prayed to receive. In 1Peter, chapter 4, we’re taught to have self-control and a stable mind. We’re commanded to show hospitality to others, and we’re reminded of the special spiritual gift each of us has received. 1Peter 4:10 (ESV) tells us, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:”

From the very beginning, God teaches us about stewardship. Genesis 2:15(ESV) says, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” God plopped Adam in the middle of a glorious and perfect paradise, the garden of Eden, but Adam couldn’t sit around on the plush grass all day twiddling his thumbs. He had to steward. He had to take care of the blessings God has placed in his care.

In 1Corinthians 4:2(ESV), God teaches us more about the management skills He desires good stewards to have. This verse says, “Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.” It doesn’t matter what others say about how you manage the blessings of your salvation, life, and gifts. What matters is God’s judgment about your preparedness to receive and manage what He gives you. The Apostle Paul said in 1Corinthians 4:4,5 (NLT), “It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due.”

You must remember that God chose you, and there isn’t anything about your life that He doesn’t know. When you do the things that He requires to increase your faith, trust and believe the right man will choose you. Ephesians 6:11 says that you’ve been equipped by God to stand firm against ALL strategies of the devil. So, put on all God’s armor, then you won’t allow the enemy to continue stealing from you.

Don’t give up, don’t give in, and never blame God for what you don’t have. Psalm 84:11 tells us that He doesn’t withhold any good thing from those who love and honor Him. So, do what God tells you to do. Stay in His Word, pray continually, and stop looking everywhere else for what can only be found in Jesus Christ. Seek God for strategies that will help you grow spiritually and ask Him to prepare you to be a wife that stewards His blessing of a husband well.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

“God Chose You and Your Husband Will Too”, written for findchristianman.wordpress.com. Copyright©2024. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

“Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun.”
Ecclesiastes 9:9 (ESV)

Over the summer, a dear friend invited me to attend to a gathering for a couple who’d recently celebrated their first-year wedding anniversary. I didn’t know much about them, but I had heard that they were both very independent people before they got married. In these modern times, ‘independent people’ is sometimes code for individuals who refuse to be tied down to anyone’s definition of the roles spouses typically assume. They are both in their early thirties, and after the wedding, they decided to move into the husband’s apartment which happens to be a fifteen-minute drive from his parents. My friend said to me, “Lord have mercy, I heard he’s having a difficult time adjusting to her not being able to cook. He’s constantly at his mother’s house for dinner.” 

The realization that his wife doesn’t possess the skills that a wife has historically embodied is causing some frustrations. She’s frustrated that he isn’t more understanding, and he’s disappointed that she’s not tidy and doesn’t clean or cook. At the gathering, it was evident that they’re having problems. So, now they have to face the reality of trying to build a strong foundation in their marriage when neither of them seems to be happy with the other.

Proverbs 12:4(ESV) says, “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.” Many of us look at this verse, mull it over two seconds, and move on about our business. God’s Word isn’t up for personal interpretation. Although we’d like to think we can put our own spin on what it means to be the crown in our future husbands’ lives, God has set the standard. He tells us that a virtuous woman is one that is devoted, wise, resourceful, kind, and willing to do every good for the benefit and welfare of her family. She knows what it is to bear a cross and does so with the conviction of her faith in God.

As women of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, some of us are still clinging to the “no one’s perfect” argument, as if that excuses us from the commitment to be perfected in and by Christ. We don’t get to tell God how we should love our spouses and families; He has told us. We are to love according to the standard of Christ, because that is the kind of love that God wants all His daughters to receive in return.

In the Old Testament, men understood the tremendous benefit to their lives if they married a good woman. They understood that a wise choice would bless them richly, and a wrong choice would burden them for the rest of their lives. Take Abraham for instance. He received the promise of the Father to make him a man with descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. Abraham understood that this blessing would pass from him to his Son, Isaac. He was adamant about the quality of woman his son would marry. Among other attributes, she had to be a woman who loved God, is of good character, and is humble and unselfish. Abraham left this in God’s hands and proceeded to send his servant on a mission to find the woman God had ordained.

Many of us have been praying to God for a husband for quite some time. We expect that the Father will present us with someone that He has ordained. Therefore, we assume this man will be loyal, loving, and devoted to us. We want him to be God’s kind of special, yet we’re not thinking that we should be just as prepared to be a crown in his life as he will be to our lives. One man could have one idea of what a crown of a woman is to him, and another man could have a completely different need. Your responsibility to be prepared to be a crown for the one God has for YOU. If you don’t know how to be the woman your future spouse will treasure, make a shift in your prayer life and ask God to teach you. Then be humble enough to learn.

Our future husbands will not be perfect, and neither are we, but we are being perfected in Christ, and God expects us to live as though we know this. As a woman desiring marriage, you must meet the example of a good wife according to God’s standards, not your own. Don’t let that slip by you. Our Heavenly Father tells us in Jeremiah 29:11 that He knows the plans He has for us. He knows the man that is ordained to be your husband. Seek God! Do what He tells you to do so that you’ll meet His standard and be as much of a treasure to your husband as he will be to you. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

“A Good Example of a Wife”, written for findchristianman.wordpress.com. Copyright©2024. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12(NLT)
“9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”

In significant relationships, companionship is extremely important. Companionship is a partnership among two people who share the same interest of connecting and developing a meaningful relationship. It’s a friendship so true that the bond is deep and not easily broken. On its own, this level of companionship in some instances can be so rewarding that many people would choose it over marriage. It’s having someone you can count on, someone that you know has your back. This is what many of us find convenient, because it comes without the stress of looking for something deeper and the disappointment of not finding it.

Nowadays, people choose a nice companionship over marriage because they perceive it as an easier commitment to handle. For many, our modern precepts for companionship leave out marriage altogether. For some men, it becomes a rendition of friendship that includes some of the benefits of marriage but places no demands on exclusivity. So, now, when people say, “this is my companion”, people automatically assume marriage is out and that these two folks have opted to have each other’s back devoid of the kind of closeness a marriage builds. This kind of companionship is one of the ways that we’ve drummed up to avoid problems of heartache and loneliness. If this is our choice, we must be very careful not to displease God with it.

We must be clear that when God set the boundaries of companionship, it was within the confines of marriage. Within their marital union, Adam and Eve were companions in every way. There can be no doubt in our minds that God ordained marriage to be the sleeve that surrounded the companionship between a man and woman. This is what God sanctioned, and to keep a companionship pleasing to Him, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 presents some very important guideposts we need to follow.

Two people are better off than one

If you can have someone who truly cares about your well-being and there is a mutual trust and admiration for one another, you have found a gem. An arm around your shoulders in tough times, holding hands, and good conversations that leave you feeling fulfilled and understood can go a long way. To protect this connection, you must keep it holy and uncompromised by physical intimacy.

For they can help each other succeed

As we mature in years, life can become more challenging. Having a companion by your side when you are tackling these challenges increases your confidence. This can lead to your success over obstacles. We don’t have all the answers, and a wise sounding board can make a huge difference in our decision making. This kind of trust and loyalty is built over time, and both the man and woman must be committed to help each other with no ulterior motives in mind.

If one person falls, the other can reach out and help

To fall down and have the strength and agility to get back up can be hard. Many of us lean on a trusted companion. Often, they are the ones that God sends to help us get back on our feet. They can be a shoulder to cry on and be a blessing to our healing process. We should never neglect to demonstrate our gratitude to God for placing this person in our lives. We should also demonstrate our gratitude to this man, but we should never take steps to make the companionship more than what God ordained it to be.

A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer 

A companion that has your back is truly a blessing from God. You will see the Father working through them to be a blessing to you many times. This is what He does, He works through people to help us, and we are often surprised at the level they will go to in order to be in our corner. When you find a man like this, don’t ruin it by stepping over the lines God has established. Protect this blessing with the spiritual maturity of self-control.

Sinful behavior is left out of the equation

Many companionships will not lead to marriage. They are with men that are sent to be a blessing to your life, and you to theirs. Never jump the gun. Don’t automatically assume this man is ordained to be your husband. Until God tells you that you’re in the company of your future spouse, keep your companions as the very best of friends. Keep those boundaries intact, understanding that the spiritual maturity you demonstrate in companionship is the discipline that equips you for what comes next.■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“A Strong Companionship”, written for findchristianman.wordpress.com. Copyright©2024. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Walking almost a mile in the snow, Mel’s feet were frozen stiff, and she thought to herself more than once, “I can’t feel my toes anymore!” She scolded herself for wearing her cute boots instead of the ones Michael had recommended for snowy weather. He was trekking almost twenty feet ahead of her, but Mel was too tired and cold to be angry that Michael had left her behind. He, on the other hand, was still fuming and giving her a serious silent treatment. The airport was small, and there wasn’t much in the way of businesses nearby, that’s why Michael had stressed the need to double-check their reservations. Not a fan of cold weather, Mel wasn’t gung ho about the trip in the first place, but she honestly thought she had made the reservations. As it turned out, she didn’t, and they were stranded at the airport on the busiest day of the year.

Michael’s favorite cousin was getting married in a small town in upstate New York, and because he refused to wait any longer, they ended up walking to the nearest car rental office. The entire way, Michael didn’t say a word to her, not even when they finally got a rental and made it to the hotel. He warmed up and spoke two or three words to her once they were settled in a bit, but all Mel could think about was that long, cold mile. Michael didn’t turn his head once to see if she was okay, and it broke her heart.

They’d been together a little over six months. Things were progressing beautifully, and Mel had begun to imagine what being ‘Mrs. Melody Bryant’ would be like. Michael is a firefighter. He’s very attractive, and up until their trip together, he had totally swept Mel off her feet. They met after his move from Maryland to Atlanta, and they both threw out the welcome mat and made space for each other to comfortably fit into their individual lives. They wanted to be open to each other because they wanted to be together. Michael had met Mel’s mother, stepfather, and two sisters, and the family was ecstatic that they were a couple.

Their faces were all Mel thought about as she contemplated how to handle the incredible hurt and disappointment she was now feeling. On so many occasions, Michael’s kindness had left her speechless, but he wasn’t who she thought he was, and nothing would ever be the same. She left before his cousin’s wedding, and for the next few weeks, she did everything she could to disconnect from Michael.

Jesus Christ teaches us in John 10:10(ESV), “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Jesus Christ wants us to know that we have an enemy, and he wants to steal and destroy our blessings, and he wants to kill and destroy us. This may sound ominous and scary to some, but regardless of how it sounds, it is the truth. We must be spiritually prepared to stand back to back with our partner, both man and woman must be fully equipped with the spiritual armor God provides. It’s not a game, it’s serious business. We have a spiritual enemy, and human weapons will not cut it when it comes to battling evil.

We have such difficulty in relationships because when we get into them, many of us fail to build them on a foundation of God’s strength and power. We do not place Jesus Christ in his rightful position as the head of all our unions, and this is a big mistake. Ephesians 1:22(NLT) says, “God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.” There is no equal in all eternity to the power and authority that God has given His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. We desperately need this power in our relationships. And to be clear, we need this power to recognize the person God sends.

The disappointment and pain we experience when a relationship is derailed can send us into emotional shock. We don’t know how to handle it because our faith in God isn’t where it needs to be. Someone has done something to undermine our confidence and greatly diminish our clarity. We no longer have what we thought we did, and this can be emotionally overwhelming.

Many women have been in Mel’s position and handled the situation quite differently. Some of them might have made excuses for Michael’s behavior and said, “It’s been a long day, and he’s just tired and upset. He’ll get over it.” Others would have given Michael a piece of their minds. They would have met his attitude with an even saucier one. With Mel, there was something deeper going on. Her biological father was an alcoholic whose angry tirades made their lives horrible when she was a child. She remembered the look on his face when he was about to blow, and Michael’s anger gave her a glimpse of that.

After weeks of him trying to connect with her, Mel finally agreed to meet Michael. It was on a Saturday afternoon, and she arrived at the coffee shop intentionally early, so she’d have an opportunity to settle herself before he arrived. Mel was more nervous and emotional than she could remember, and the flipflopping in her belly had been non-stop for the last two days. Michael, the sweetest man she thought she had ever known had revealed a mean streak. It was biting and vengeful, and she couldn’t help but wonder if it was only the tip of an iceberg. She dreaded the thought of discovering that he had only been pretending over the last several months and that allowing him in her life had been a big mistake.

Significant relationships have a tremendous impact on our lives. The wrong person can cause more damage than we can imagine, and they can be used to undermine our relationship with God. Causing a wedge between us and our faith in God is the enemy’s aim, and if we allow an opening, he will weaponize the people we love and use them against us. The best thing that we can do for ourselves is to not allow this opening for enemy attack. We can be preemptive by letting the Spirit guide us according to God’s Will. Jesus Christ tells us in John 16:13(NLT), “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.” As women, we must understand with crystal clarity that romance cannot replace the truth. With any significant relationship, we must pray continually for wisdom and good judgement, and when the Spirit reveals the truth, we must have the courage to accept it.

Sometimes, we need to be alone with God and ourselves only, and we have to do this for a while in order to come to a place of clarity, and it’s a kind of clarity that only the Holy Spirit can give. This is the gift Mel gave to herself. It was one of the most challenging things she had ever done, because she wanted Michael in her life, and she wasn’t sure she had the strength to let him go.

He walked into the coffee shop, and the sound of his greeting was calm and warm, and she thought she’d melt, but she refused to betray herself in that moment. Mel was prayed up, and her inner pleas were for the Lord to strengthen her and give her the right words to say. He did. After an hour or so of easing in, they talked about that night, when she left him before his cousin’s wedding. Until that moment, she had not realized how deeply it hurt him. They had both punished each other, and only the Lord Jesus Christ could help them heal and grow in His love.

Significant relationships that can potentially lead to marriage are filled with bliss, but they can also reveal characteristics in the other person that are immature, toxic, and very challenging to deal with. Can we successfully navigate through these? Absolutely, but not without Jesus Christ. God has a plan for our marital partnership, and He will send the right person. The very best scenario is to pray and ask the Lord to grow you up in Christ before you meet him, so that you can be spiritually prepared to faith your way through any obstacles.■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“Romance Cannot Replace the Truth”, written for findchristianman.wordpress.com. Copyright©2024. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Genesis 2:23(NLT)
“At last!” the man exclaimed.”  This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called woman because she was taken from man.”

Adam was incredibly thankful to God for bringing him Eve. He was excited because he was given a companion that would bless his life. Adam wasn’t intellectually impaired in any way, quite the opposite. He was brilliant because he spent every waking moment with God. Once he laid eyes on Eve, he understood the gift he had received. Someone like him was now a part of his life, and in Adam’s mind and heart, this was something worth celebrating.

The connection between Adam and Eve was undeniable. He was very much aware that God had taken a rib from his body and from it made Eve, his wife. Adam understood the math, that from one, two were made to function as one. Two would walk together in unity as they lived God’s purpose. This is God’s masterful plan.

Adam was the first man, and he was created before Eve. God doesn’t make mistakes, and knowledge regarding everything that He does is purposeful for our journey in life. It should not be lost on us that God presented Eve to Adam, and that God intended her to help Adam fulfill the tasks he had been assigned. These are very simple lessons about marital partnership. God made them that way so that everyone could grasp His intended Will, plan and purpose.

Sadly, we have turned what God made simple into multifaceted complications, and this has done a number on the way we perceive marriage. Because we haven’t followed God’s marriage plan, the devil has wedged his way into the equation. By getting us to focus on the flesh, satan has managed to mess with our minds to such a degree that we’ve made sexual pleasure more important than God’s purpose. We’ve lost God’s priority in the matter, and this has so greatly diminished our reverence for God’s institution of marriage, that we think dating someone is a satisfactory replacement.

The reason that God’s Word, the Bible, doesn’t cover the subject of dating is because He intended a man to esteem a woman’s honor so highly that he would not do anything to contradict it. Dating, in the modern sense, throws this out of the window in many cases. God demonstrated for us in Genesis 1-2 that He had given Adam tremendous authority in the earth. He then lost it, but through Jesus Christ, this authority was restored. Like Adam, the authority of Christ that is given to a husband is solely to be exercised through a man’s dedication and devotion to God. Men are to be responsible to God to do as God pleases. It is no less for a woman, but the responsibility to be a Godly husband came to Adam first. 1Corinthians 11:3 (ESV) states, “But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.” This is the hierarchy God has etched in stone, and it cannot be altered or changed by anyone but Him.

The love language between a man and a woman begins with the love of Christ. The man is responsible to Christ for honoring and loving his wife. Ephesians 5:25(NLT) says, “For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her.” This not only conveys the depth of love that Christ has for the church, but it conveys God’s love for husbands and wives. He set the bar for the way a man should love his wife.

God made Eve to be the blessing Adam needed and deserved. Heavenly Father made her everything a woman could and should be. They both loved and honored one another, she, a helper perfectly suited to help Adam carry out God’s purpose, and he, perfectly suited to honor God and honor his wife. God set this up, and regardless of how modern we think we might be, understand that God knows best and His way works best. So, when a man makes you his wife, know what God requires of you and what He requires of the man. He expects the man to see you as a gift, one that is worthy of the celebration of marriage. ■

Amplified Bible Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation All rights reserved http://www.lockman.org

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“When He Makes You His Wife”, written for findchristianman.wordpress.com. Copyright©2024. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. 2 Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. 3 They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. 4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.

Psalm 19:1-4(NLT)

Most of us know that we can’t get anywhere in life without the blessing of our Heavenly Father. He makes everything possible for us. Therefore, we know that when we have a need, we have to take it to the Lord in prayer. Philippians 4:6(NLT) tells us, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” Most of us understand this verse with crystal clarity, but it’s the waiting that causes us to question if marriage is going to happen for us. Single women, I know you hear me on this one. I’ve spoken to many single women of faith about the subject of waiting for the Lord to bless them to meet their husbands. We all agree that waiting on an answer to our prayers is often the most challenging part.

Society has taught us many things, and one of them is impatience. We think we can have what we want by speeding up the process so we can get it quicker. This is an approach that doesn’t work for those that are in Christ. Galatians 5:22 tells us that patience is a fruit of the Spirit. It’s a state of being, which makes it more than a feeling or attitude. It’s manifested inwardly by the Spirit and manifested outwardly through our actions and behaviors. The Spirit’s fruit is the nature of God’s children. It’s part of who we are, and it must be worked out in our hearts and minds to the point where our faith makes patience feel right at home.

Philippians tells us not to be anxious about what we are praying to receive. Anxiety about it means that fear is lurking about somewhere, and it’s causing our faith to take a backseat. So, we have to order our prayer lives in such a way that growing in patience and faith becomes our priority. The blessing of a husband is such a sweet reward, but it’s not the greatest prize. Growing our faith in God and tightening our relationship with Him is the real treasure. We have to know the difference between these two and prioritize them appropriately in our minds and hearts.

The Book of Genesis tells us that after Adam and Eve sinned against God by disobeying His Word, they hid themselves in shame. In Genesis 3:12(NLT), we learn a great deal about the shame of sin, and how most human beings handle this. Rather than accepting responsibility for the wrong he did and seeking God’s forgiveness with earnest sorrow, Adam said, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” The first man deflected and played the blame game. This demonstrates the human tendency to deflect, dodge, and hide from what we’ve done wrong as well.

Increasingly our environment is one in which we run from blame and run from the truth. We do it so much in fact that our society is losing its grasp on discernment. It’s grown so used to a lie that it no longer recognizes the truth. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, the way that we reject the actions of Adam and Eve and reject society’s poor judgment and refusal to love the truth is to do the opposite of what they have done. We must be lovers of God’s truth. The degree to which we love God’s truth will be on full view by our accountability for not obeying it. We have to come clean about not meeting God’s requirements during some of the situations we’ve gone through in life.

We can’t sweep that stuff under the rug as if the sin never occurred. We must repent, and when we do, God forgives us, but true repentance requires a change of heart and a change of mind. We shouldn’t continue with the same sins over and over again. How we honor God with reverence and obedience determines our ability to steward and handle His blessings. He is always watching and observing us. He’s not doing this to punish us. 2Chronicles 16:9 tells us that He’s looking for an opening to come in so He can bless us with our desires. We should be praying and seeking His guidance on how to do this, how to invite His blessing and fully put on His armor so we can grow stronger spiritually.

It would not be wise to ignore the reality that there is always a reason behind the wait, and that it usually has to do with our readiness to make room for the blessing. All of us think we’re ready, but if the man stepped in right this moment, many of us would place our commitment to God on the backburner and go all in with the relationship. Our commitments would change. Our priorities would change, and we have not even thought about how to navigate issues of intimacy in a way that pleases God. We’d be so thrilled to finally have an opportunity for love that we’d give over our hearts completely, when truly they are not ours to give.

Our hearts belong to God, but whether we are giving them to Him totally and completely is another story. For many years, we’ve underestimated the commitment and intimacy that God desires from us. We’re easily manipulated to shortchange Him and ourselves, and this cannot be. God is a Father! What does a father do? He looks after His kids. Whether we trust it or not, this is what the wait is all about. God is grooming us, helping us to cultivate the obedience, humility, and love for Him that a child of light must have. He’s helping us to develop spiritual strength so that when storm winds blow in our future marriages, we will not buckle from the pressure. We’ll stand strong and prove that following God’s Will and Word is the firm foundation that holds up our lives and preserves the unity of our marriages as well.■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“What’s the Wait All About?”, written for findchristianman.wordpress.com. Copyright©2024. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.