Dating? A word created by man and with only worldly ways. Our modern day society created the term dating, and even we as Christians have adopted it and justified it as ok. Taking the truth of marriage and the ways of the Lord out of how the Lord intends it to be and be built. To explain further, I will elaborate. Today people even Christians look for someone who they are attracted to, and maybe even enjoy talking to, and then jump right into dating that person. Yes! Right into a relationship. All done with no consideration to being equally yoked or even having any idea of what it means to be equally yoked. I may sound upset, and that is because I am! Our society has totally abandoned the ways of the Lord and now even the church justifies these worldly ways of dating or being in a relationship. Then when these two people decide to marry, the church now wants to have premarital classes...lol what a joke! The relationship was not started in the Lord. The two have no idea what being equally yoked means, or how to wait upon the Lord and allow him to show them step by step before entering into even a courtship time before marriage. So, how can the church of today expect these marriages to last or even grow in the Lord when they were never started in him to begin with?
My heart truly bleeds for today�s Christians and how they are being told to be equally yoked maybe, but never given true understanding of it or guided in it. First off, I don�t think most young people or people today really sit down know who they are in the Lord. What I mean here is. What gifts do you have? What is your thinking and beliefs in the Lord? What direction do are you being lead by him that you were created by him to be? To me, how can one even begin to think about a relationship based upon and in the Lord without know these things about themselves? These are just truths to begin with. It goes much deeper.
Deeper in the sense of things like are you a toegether type person or a person likes to be alone alot? A person who likes alot of alone time, sure wont be equally yoked to a person who desires to be together alot. Then other things too like your personality traits affection, afformation, intimacy, etc..The goal to is be equally yoked with that one special one in him and going together down the same path in him. These are all things to think about and keep your eyes open to before even considering a relationship. it befuddles me how people jump into dating someone, which is making a committment in their own minds, before they know the person. When you do this you are just trying to make what you think should be, be what aint.
Truth is the Lord created every one of us, and has a his will and purpose for each of us. What makes us think we are smarter than the Lord, and can pick own spouse? When I stopped to think about this, it truly blow me away! For yes, I thought I knew what was best, when in truth I had no understanding of what I was doing. That is why most of us are where we are at today. Most do not have any true idea or understanding of the Lord�s ways or how to even follow him or how to allow him to prove all things in time. For if you desire a relationship in and of the Lord, you must begin to learn how to allow him to prove all things in time. To me this does not mean jumping into meaningless dating relationships to see. No, it means getting to know the person inside through talking and communication, casual meeting as only a friend. It means you SHOULD NOT committ your heart to a relationship other then friendship, untill the Lord proves you are equally yoked in time. What I�m saying is first discover who you are in the Lord, and stop focusing on having worldly things in common with someone. Start focusing on the gifts and things of and in the Lord you have. If you desire a godly marriage, you sure will not build one through worldly common things. My heart truly bleeds and yearns for all to come to understand how to come to know who you are in the Lord and then allow him to prove all things for marriage in time and not taking steps or committing to anything he does not prove in time and make totally clear. For to follow him is to allow him. Assumption is only of self and off the path of waiting on him or allowing him to guide you. I pray this can truly help and bless many to understand the truth of a relationship in the Lord.
I have a quote for you to consider, this has been posted at least twice.
sometimes God by himself decides what will happen and sometimes God modifies hid plan to accommodate the choices, decisions, and desires of his created things.
Like us, he created us. God, in other words does not control everything. We are free will beings. any two believers, no mater how different can have a successful and rewarding marriage it's merely a question of the renewed mind, as in putting on the mind of Christ, mind of God, i.e. the word of God.
For instance, I could marry one of the "Jesus Christ is God" people and still have a successful marriage, as long as I realized from the get go that the best I can do with that mindset is influence her...trying or attempting to control someone, or "change" someone is a train wreck in process....change comes from free will, an inside job....
you are a great believer in my opinion christiancowboy1, take a risk and do some dating outside the box, no need to wait til there is a sign form God....who you are is who you will attract..
This is some food for thought. And funny enough I was discussing this with a freind of mine while we were having lunch. Apart of your dialogue sturck me as particularly true to my own convictions, it may be a small percentage of us but I'm glad others are realizing it. I do not believe in dating, I believe in courting. Furthermore I agree with you many are the desires of a man's heart but we seem to live in a society where we see something and want our "Daddy" to get it for us. Or as an after thoiught include God when he should have been the one consulted before any move is given. I am trying to live each day as much as I can asking the father what he wants of me, from me. I have been single practically my own life and most times wondered what was wrong with me. then I let carnal thinking go and realized that God loves me enough to renew my mind and heart in preparation for that ONE man whom he has made just for me. It's amazing that we believe God is able to do anything but not when it comes to our love lives. I do not believe in kissing many frogs until I meet my prince. You can get yourself tied in in a lot of things and just be bound. No sir not me I'm waiting on the Lord, who knows.
