So this week's article may be a little different than most and it can get deep so buckle your seatbelts.
Lately, as in the past couple of months, I've been thinking about relationships. What the meaning of them is, how long some people have been together, how they do it, the depth of friendship and so on. Yeah, that might seem strange but I love thinking about things that way. Along with this, I've been in the Word a lot because let's be honest we're never in it enough. I still catch myself running to my own solutions instead of the Lord's sometimes. The result of my bible studying has given me some answers on how to approach relationships in terms of God's perspective instead of our own and I thought I'd share.
Today I worshiped at Connection Church in Statesboro and man did the Lord speak. It was week two of a series on Marriage and even though I am nowhere close to being married, the staff stressed that even the single people in the audience could take something away from this topic if we let the Lord speak into our hearts and yep, they were right.
All this time I've been thinking about what I need to do in order for me to find the "right guy" and plot twist people: it's not about what we need to do, it's about what we need to let the Lord do in our lives first, so that as we're running toward the Lord he'll bring a person into our lives that is doing the same.
There was one illustration this morning that sort of blew my mind.
Mission Trips:
When we go on mission trips, the sole purpose is spreading the gospel to the people in the area that we've traveled to. We get there and we build these friendships with these amazing people who we usually did not know at all prior to the trip. When we return, there is this incredible community that literally can withstand anything. We have a myriad of accountability partners and people we can share everything with, without judgment or hesitation. (Shout out to my Nicaragua peeps you are shining stars and you rock my world!!!) Now, this is how relationships/marriages are supposed to work. If our mission and our everyday goal is to focus on doing God's work then the byproduct of that will be unity. We will find the person to share our lives with if this is the case, isn't that crazy?? I love that illustration! (Shout out to Connection Church, by the way, wow, it is so evident that God is using all of you!)
So often we find ourselves trying to figure everything out on our own and this is normal, we're human. But, if our relationships, not only marriages, are centered around bringing God glory and doing his will, then nothing can tear it apart.
The reason that God created marriage was to point people toward him. Did you know that? I just recently came to realize this actually. The church is the Bride of Christ and God uses the unity of a man and a woman here on earth to show others what a relationship with God is like. Jesus served the church and gave his life for us so that we could have eternity (it's so beautiful I never get tired of thinking about it). Now, quite often people abuse this and make it into something that it isn't supposed to be, but, the illustration God gives is to be one of serving one another and putting each other's needs above their own. In Philippians 2 it says that "Jesus came not to be served, but to serve." What if this was the case in our relationships with others? It would change the perspective of both parties.
Lately, I have caught myself being hung up on the wrong people and neglecting my relationship with the Lord. There's a problem there and I catch myself in this all the time. If we just focus on the Lord literally everything else will fall into place. We can beat ourselves up over sin time and time again, but if we let it go and let God reign in our hearts and lives then he will take those sinful desires and put them to rest because our main focus will be on Him alone!
It's not about us people! It has never been, it never is and never will be. It's about the true, almighty, and everlasting God that bled and died for us! Every aspect of our lives is about him.
For example, some people laugh because I say that I prayed about sorority recruitment when I went through last year. I prayed about every house and that God would lead me to the right home, where I would grow in Him and find sisters who lead me closer to Him. People thought that was strange because of the stereotype of Greek life, but God is everywhere people and He is even present on Greek row if we let Him work there! We have to stop looking around us to find the solutions to things and just look up.
Like I said, that was kind of deep but these things have just been heavy on my heart and the service this morning really pushed me to write about them this week. And since most of us aren't close to being married, it was stressed this morning that we are to love, like Jesus loves, in all aspects of what's in our present day.
Again, so thankful for the Pastors, Staff, Worship Team and Body of Believers at Connection Church in Statesboro! God is speaking there and if you ever need a place to run to, I'd try it out!
XOXO
