The Rock Almighty Devo The Church and the LGBTQ Community and Godly Singles

 

GODLY SINGLES

by Creflo Dollar | 

In the natural realm, the single life can sometimes seem like we’re navigating a land mine. If we’re not careful, some of the dating relationships we enter into can put us in a compromising position.

Popular culture tells us to abandon our Christian principles if we want to find the right person for us. However, as born-again believers living in the supernatural realm, we know that this is simply not true.

Meeting that one special individual can be like running a marathon. It doesn’t happen right away; we need faith to endure in the search. Faith isn’t simply “putting up with,” but being constantly, consistently the same in all circumstances. “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow” (James 1:2, 3, NLT). Being joyful in the search isn’t something the world is familiar with, but we find our joy in our relationship with Jesus.

We can meet all kinds of people with all kinds of motives. If we were to conduct our search without God’s help, there are too many unknowns. When we’re not sure of someone’s motives, we can ask the Holy Spirit. He knows things we’re completely unaware of, and He wants to warn us of impending danger so we won’t be blindsided. “But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

We all want to be happy; however, the world’s idea of happiness is fleeting and temporary. We don’t find it in another person, a social event, or a particular marital status. We only find happiness through a relationship with Christ. Being in His presence grounds us and prepares us for a successful, happy relationship with another person. “Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually” (1 Chronicles 16:11).

Most people confuse happiness with joy; there’s a difference between the two words. Happiness comes from how we feel; joy comes from what we know. The more we study the Word of God, the more we know about how He feels about us. “…For he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye” (Zechariah 2:8). When we realize we’re God’s beloved, we tap into a source of joy that radiates from the inside out.

A relationship with God is like no other earthly relationship. It strengthens, comforts, and sets us apart from the rest of the world. Because He loves us, we can love ourselves. The ability to love and respect ourselves enables us to love and respect others and develop healthy relationships with them. “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:5-8, NIV).

There’s no reason to let secular influences get to us when we can rely on the influence of God, Himself. He knows just what we need; we can trust Him in everything, including in our personal relationships. Things always turn out well when we let God take the lead.