going against the grain.
I have had a a lot of opposition lately on my views and convictions especially when it comes to "dating." The more I pray about it the stronger my passion and convictions grown. I've realized that a fully yielded life is not a popular message in modern American Christianity. The idea that everything, including the good dreams and hopes God has given us, must be surrendered back to Jesus Christ is deemed extreme and unnecessary. The concept of trusting God to script our love story in His own perfect timing without manipulation on our part is typically treated ridiculous and naive. Shoeing away mediocre but decent guys in order to wait for a man completely abandoned to God is viewed by many as a recipe for lifelong disappointment.
From books and even Christian peers I have read into attitudes of forsaking the misguided idea of waiting on God for a husband; and therefore we should take matters into our own hands to find a husband. Theses ideas are promoted under seeming spirituality. These modern voices contend that we should not accept extended singleness because God created marriage, and it is good. But that is one of Satan's lies that God is withholding something good from us. He never withholds anything good from us, He just knows when it will be perfect. If we are continually taking things into our own hands, then where is our faith in God? Satan also misleads us into disillusionment that we are incomplete until we marry, which is causing Christian young singles to be discontent. They are beginning to see singleness as a curse instead of a blessed opportunity from a loving Father. The blood shed on the cross by our Savior, Jesus, is all we need to be complete and whole.
What is truly the pattern of the gospel? Christ said, If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brother and sisters, and even his own life also he cannot be my disciple. Paul said he counts everything as loss. David said Whom have I in heaven but You? There is none on earth that I desire besides You. Christ laid down His life. We are to lay down all of our hopes, dreams, desires and pursuits allowing God to script every page of our life's book. Once upon a time Christian men and women understood what it meant to lay down their desires for the sake of Christ, including their desire for marriage and family. Abraham laid his only son Isaac on the altar. They willingly laid their most sacred and priceless blessings on the altar of God. They realized that if He desired for them to be married he would make it clear in his own perfect timing and ways. Why can I not do the same? Why do people say I can't stop looking? Why do people say I have to date? Why can't I just trust God's pattern from the beginning of time? He brought Eve to Adam. Neither of them went searching. He brought Ruth to Boaz' fields. Neither of them went looking. My life isn't about finding my husband. My life is about serving my Lord.
He must always come first and He must always be implicitly trusted. No matter how our selfish fleshly side feels about it, laying everything on the altar before our King and allowing Him to do with our lives whatever He sees fit is where true Christianity begins. Our desire for marriage must be no exception. We should not fall for the ear tickling lackadaisical messages that require less than absolute abandonment for the one who gave his very life for us. He took up His cross and we must do the same. American Christianity tells us to exalt our emotions and desires above the call of Christ to deny self, lay all our dreams and hopes on the altar, and take up our Cross daily. The message to hurry up and get married already caters to what we want. It’s all about following the whims and desires of our heart. There are so many noisy voices that try to distracted us from our God given desires and convictions. Their ideas have come from the world, and we cannot listen to them. We have to lean upon the strength of God to walk a different path. His path.
God asked His son to embrace the greatest suffering the world has ever known. Hebrews tells us that Christ endured the cross despising the shame. It was not easy and comfortable for Jesus to give up His life. It was not delightful or pleasant. Taking up His cross caused more pain and misery than anyone has ever known or imagined. It was so difficult that the night before He wept exceedingly, sweat drops of blood crying out to His Father if there was any other way. What if Jesus simply listen to His heart, what His human emotions and desires were telling Him that night? Just as Jesus was called to give up His life, so are we. This way is narrow and rocky and causes pain, but it's the very road Jesus walked. May it be our greatest privilege and joy to follow in His steps. No suffering that we embrace in obedience to Christ ever ends in misery and death. That was not Jesus' story, and it will not be ours. God specializes in happily ever afters.
From books and even Christian peers I have read into attitudes of forsaking the misguided idea of waiting on God for a husband; and therefore we should take matters into our own hands to find a husband. Theses ideas are promoted under seeming spirituality. These modern voices contend that we should not accept extended singleness because God created marriage, and it is good. But that is one of Satan's lies that God is withholding something good from us. He never withholds anything good from us, He just knows when it will be perfect. If we are continually taking things into our own hands, then where is our faith in God? Satan also misleads us into disillusionment that we are incomplete until we marry, which is causing Christian young singles to be discontent. They are beginning to see singleness as a curse instead of a blessed opportunity from a loving Father. The blood shed on the cross by our Savior, Jesus, is all we need to be complete and whole.
What is truly the pattern of the gospel? Christ said, If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brother and sisters, and even his own life also he cannot be my disciple. Paul said he counts everything as loss. David said Whom have I in heaven but You? There is none on earth that I desire besides You. Christ laid down His life. We are to lay down all of our hopes, dreams, desires and pursuits allowing God to script every page of our life's book. Once upon a time Christian men and women understood what it meant to lay down their desires for the sake of Christ, including their desire for marriage and family. Abraham laid his only son Isaac on the altar. They willingly laid their most sacred and priceless blessings on the altar of God. They realized that if He desired for them to be married he would make it clear in his own perfect timing and ways. Why can I not do the same? Why do people say I can't stop looking? Why do people say I have to date? Why can't I just trust God's pattern from the beginning of time? He brought Eve to Adam. Neither of them went searching. He brought Ruth to Boaz' fields. Neither of them went looking. My life isn't about finding my husband. My life is about serving my Lord.
He must always come first and He must always be implicitly trusted. No matter how our selfish fleshly side feels about it, laying everything on the altar before our King and allowing Him to do with our lives whatever He sees fit is where true Christianity begins. Our desire for marriage must be no exception. We should not fall for the ear tickling lackadaisical messages that require less than absolute abandonment for the one who gave his very life for us. He took up His cross and we must do the same. American Christianity tells us to exalt our emotions and desires above the call of Christ to deny self, lay all our dreams and hopes on the altar, and take up our Cross daily. The message to hurry up and get married already caters to what we want. It’s all about following the whims and desires of our heart. There are so many noisy voices that try to distracted us from our God given desires and convictions. Their ideas have come from the world, and we cannot listen to them. We have to lean upon the strength of God to walk a different path. His path.
God asked His son to embrace the greatest suffering the world has ever known. Hebrews tells us that Christ endured the cross despising the shame. It was not easy and comfortable for Jesus to give up His life. It was not delightful or pleasant. Taking up His cross caused more pain and misery than anyone has ever known or imagined. It was so difficult that the night before He wept exceedingly, sweat drops of blood crying out to His Father if there was any other way. What if Jesus simply listen to His heart, what His human emotions and desires were telling Him that night? Just as Jesus was called to give up His life, so are we. This way is narrow and rocky and causes pain, but it's the very road Jesus walked. May it be our greatest privilege and joy to follow in His steps. No suffering that we embrace in obedience to Christ ever ends in misery and death. That was not Jesus' story, and it will not be ours. God specializes in happily ever afters.
posted by Holly at 2:06 PM
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