As with anything that runs deep into our core, those things
that are stored close to our heart are the hardest to express, and sometimes
let go of. Ever since returning back to Germany from Christmas this blog post,
I kid you not, has been literally sitting on my computer – waiting to make its
appearance into the world. Now, in my opinion, is finally the time.
In our impatient society, there are still many instances
where the wait is worth it.
The final product of mixing ingredients, only to make a
really tasty treat.
That favorite TV show in their final episode.
The arrival of a loved one flying home.
That special someone appearing in your life.
Working hard at a job to put your first down-payment on a
house for your family.
Your baby’s first look into your eyes after giving birth.
And we should add to that list….God’s plans for your future.
Trust me when I say that I am speaking as much to myself as
I am you, if not more. It is easy to say that certain things in life are "worth
waiting for," but we do not heed the advice as much as we give it. Since when
has our generation become so willing to fall short? Since when have we been
willing to compromise that in which God has promised to us?
We all fall short, we all make mistakes, but please – I beg
you, please – do not let yourself believe for one second that the wait is not
worth it, putting yourself at risk for compromise. No one deserves to
compromise, especially when God has such great things in store for each and
every one of us as children of His. His love, His peace, His riches, His grace,
and His kingdom - all promised to us as followers and believers of Him.
By being impatient we are saying that we are not worth the
wait, and that the waiting is not worth it. “Or do you show contempt for the
riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s
kindness leads you toward repentance?” (Romans 2:4). Let us not forget the
fruits of the Spirit being “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…[and] since we live by the Spirit,
let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22).
I know what most of you are thinking, I thought this post was going to be about singleness and waiting for
the right man to come along. Well, gotcha! However, I will speak a little
to this. If I had a dime for every conversation I have had about singleness
over the past two and a half years, I would have been able to sponsor many
children to attend BFA by now.
I was reading a great article the other day about Christian
dating and how, depending on who you are, your perspective can be completely
different than the next person on the who, what, where, when and why of what
might eventually become a romantic relationship between man and wife. To say
that we all want to feel loved and accepted is an understatement – and what
better relationship to learn that from than from God. If we want to be pursued
by the opposite sex, we first need to learn what it means to be pursued by God.
If we want to be in a relationship with someone of the opposite sex, we need to
first learn what it means to be in a relationship with God, our almighty
Creator. If we want to be married to someone of the opposite sex, we need to
first learn what it means to be in a holy matrimony with our God (I know this
one might sound somewhat strange, but stick with me for the next illustration).
In one of the small groups that I am apart of we are reading
a book by Shannon Ethridge titled, “Completely His.” Within one of the chapters
it paints this picture of a wedding day: the bride…the groom…the ceremony. I’ll end you with the
excerpt from the book, which will be able to give you a better idea of what I am trying to
articulate:
“In
my dream, a bride is milling around the room, soaking up the praises and
adoration of her wedding guests. However, her groom is nowhere to be found. As
I scan the room, he finally comes into my view. He’s standing in a corner,
looking down at the wedding ring his bride has just placed on his finger. Yet,
he is shedding tears of sadness because she doesn’t feel the need to have him
by her side. She isn’t introducing him to her friends, and he appears to feel
shunned. As his tears fall onto his hands, I notice the nail scars and realize
the groom is Jesus.
I
awoke from my dream with a sick feeling in my stomach. ‘Lord, is this how I
made You feel when I was looking for love in all the wrong places?’ I wept at
the thought of hurting Him so deeply. As I have become more aware of the pain I
cause my beloved Bridegroom when I fail to cling to Him, I’ve become more
motivated to forsake all others.
Are
you ready to do the same? Are you ready to cleave only to Him, regardless of where
that takes you?”
