Wedding season is upon us, and often times we can get lost in the emotions of the moment or the routine if you have attended a few. At one wedding I went to a while back, I noted an important theme that resonated in the ceremony: “destiny.” The presiding pastor noted that God created the bride with the groom in mind and vice versa. They were put together for a purpose, their paths uniting, a destiny now set in place as they begin this new chapter together.
It put things in perspective for me as a single in regards to what I should think about for my own future. We ponder on our singleness during wedding season and may give dating a try if we haven’t done so already. We all have a purpose and destination to reach in life, but sometimes challenges in the form of chances and opportunities come around, especially when we’re focused on reaching our goals and dreams. What do new circumstances and people we meet have to do with our destinies? We can find out in two different ways.
Include God in your dating season.
The fact that we are living in the days where there are more singles and married people shows that we need to include God in our relationships, highest among other important factors. Marriage, regardless of what any cynical person says, was divinely created and ordered by God.
We have to include God in the dating process because He has our best interests at heart and knows what great things that we are capable of. You should want a partner who is not only a friend but someone who can see and believe in your greatness and potential. Make the time to discover why you’re a good catch, wise investment, or qualified half of a dynamic duo. Once you realize God’s plan for you, the more importance you will place on what kind of people you need in your life.
Don’t settle for just anyone, but wait for God to reveal to you the person that complements and adds to your destiny. This is not meaning the natural stuff (wealth or status) but the spiritual aspects (i.e. outreach to those God has called you to help), how uniting with this person will glorify God. Don’t grow impatient with God, He is just as concerned about your desires as you are. Including Him in this aspect of your life makes things clearer than without His presence.
Set out to seek wisdom.
We have to seek God for the knowledge and understanding of His purpose for us individually and for the wisdom to make the right decisions to accomplish it. “He holds victory in store for the upright, He guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones, then you will understand every good path,” in Proverbs 2:7-9. When you give this dating season to God or include Him in it, you’ll get more access to His knowledge and wisdom on the subject.
“Discretion will protect you and understanding will guard you,” says verse 11. Discretion is the freedom to decide what should be done in a particular situation. God is so good because He gives us freedom of choice. That also gives us the opportunity to trust His way and not end up trapped in bad and broken relationships with the wrong people. Remember we were once slaves to sin but now have obtained freedom through salvation and the benefits lead to holiness and the result is eternal life; Romans 6: 20-22 takes this on directly.
Proverbs 2:12 and 16 say that wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men and the adulteress; those are the dogs, liars, cheaters, abusers, misusers, players, gold diggers, shallow folks, etc. God wants us to follow verses 20-21 and “walk in the ways of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous, for the upright will live in the land and the blameless will remain in it.”
When you have an understanding of how great you are and even greater you will become, you start to use wisdom when it comes to who you need to associate with, date or have in your circle.
Righteous discretion will protect your destiny. If you want a divorce-free future, healthy-passionate-blessed-fruitful marriage, you have to protect yourself from the wrong people and risks that can steer you off the course of your destiny. Ask God to help you make the right(eous) decisions to have His destiny for you fulfilled in the name of Jesus.
BMWK fam, do you know what you want to see in your future?