And the bride wore white?
The beauty of our God is that He is full of grace, mercy, love and creativity. He designed everything your eye can see – the sky, birds, animals, oceans, even your friends and family. Each of us has our own strengths and weaknesses, because we were made to be special by our Almighty – wonderfully crafted for greatness and love.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. -Psalm 139:14
That’s why each love story is and will be different. There never was nor will be two exact love stories in God’s books. From the beginning, He created us to need a soul mate – someone to complete us and helps us through life. Every person and circumstance in our life leads up to that person and his/her circumstances and preferences.
And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” -Genesis 2:18
Note, that some women do choose to remain single their entire lives because they want to dedicate their bodies to serve God. But, that is a calling and a human choice. God doesn't force anyone into singleness (He never, ever, forces anyone to do anything). So, if you're one of the women who answered God's call to remain single your entire life, may God bless you and reward you in Heaven for your brave sacrifice. I truly do respect you from the bottom of my heart.
Most of us Christian girls though will get married eventually. Some will get married young. Others in their twenties or thirties. Some will wait until their forties, fifties or beyond – whether by choice or until God’s timing.
Most will make mistakes or give their bodies away before marriage. Some will give their hearts away to someone abusive, a non-believer or someone else not worthy of a Godly woman, quite often because they feel trapped in the safety and false comfort of those unhealthy circumstances.
If you've made mistakes in your relationships and don't feel pure and whole, there is grace and redemption in Christ (you might find this post beneficial as well). You're not dirty, secondhand, unworthy of love or any other lie Satan tells you.
That is the beauty of our God though – there is no cookie-cutter love story, because it’s not you or I who is writing that tale, but God is creating it, orchestrating it across continents, states, cities or just across your street.
You and I might make mistakes in following God’s commandment to remain pure and whole, but He is full of grace and mercy and He has the power to forgive and help us heal.
This was my message in writing yesterday’s post:
Focus on God with your whole heart, soul and life – seek His face and will for your life. Love Jesus and the people He puts in your life with a grateful heart – giving, caring and honoring every heart you come in contact with.
And in His time, your love story will unfold - there is no need to search for the One on your own, kiss frogs or follow any of the world's "helpful" dating tips.
Don't worry about when or how you’ll get married, if Bob is really the guy because he’s been flirting with you, or spend hours worrying and pondering other romantic whims.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. -Matthew 6:33
Pray that God shows you the right guy in His time. And He will, because He loves a loyal, humble and obedient heart. My grandpa's military portrait appeared to my grandma’s mentor in her dreams, so when he stopped by her remote village in Siberia with a few buddies quite by chance, she knew his face and knew that he was the One.
My mom fasted for three days and three nights before accepting my dad’s proposal. My dad proposed because God told him through a prophet she was the one, even though they had never spoken before.
If you stay close to God, if He is your whole life, He will open all the world’s secrets to you. But, if you don't make it a habit to ask God's opinion about everything before hand, if you don't seek His opinion and approval about every facet of your life during your single years, then it will be incredibly hard to hear His voice when you do meet the One.
Maybe that's why we have all these years of singleness - to grow close to our Lord, to learn the sound of His voice, His preferences and desires for our lives. To develop a strong and devoted relationship with the Almighty, so that when a man does walk into our lives, we can both serve the Lord together.
A marriage based on faith and God is one that will survive anything. This type of marriage goes beyond chemistry, passion, sex and even human love. It's an extraordinary love (1 Corinthians 13 kind of love) that puts Christ above spouses and even children. It's a love grounded in faith and Christ - He is the cornerstone and Master of the marriage. And it's absolutely worth waiting for.
He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. -Matthew 10:37
Don't use your single years as just a waiting period, dwindling your thumbs and trying to guess if that Godly guy in your Bible study is the One. And don't think that you should just serve God until you get married. Love, marriage and family are just a passing glimpse of God's love for His children, but it's not why we were created - no, we were created to live a life for the Lord. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God. Everything else is secondary.