| Cumberbatch has a girlfriend. I may have cried a bit. |
As much as I seem to talk so constantly about relationships, I've been pretty content as a single lady. Since encountering God in some crazy ways the past few weeks, my heart seems settled in its prioritizing of and passion for Him. But even in that, I still have the residual muck, consequences and pains from past relationship-related situations - all crucial to pushing me closer to Him. Of course, I still want to be married, but I FINALLY get how single people are so content, and trust God so wholly. I've finally started to understand what Paul was talking about when he said he knew "how to be content in any and every situation," (Philippians 4:12).
I never really understood surrender until I took time to know God, and I took time to learn what it was to see things His way. Peace came as I learned to see things in the context of God's will, and what He really desired of every obstacle and trial I was given.
Trusting the will of God means believing that in all things, His will prevails, and whatever He wills or whatever things He allows to happen, happens with great purpose. When we are for God's will, we never lose out. This is a loyalty that does not come naturally to us, it's a faithfulness born of the Spirit of God in you, and nurtured through trust. All of it by grace.
I think the best way to describe trusting and obeying God is like being carried by a current. I've never been in a current before, so I don't quite know what it's like. However, I've made a whirlpool in an above ground pool, so I guess that counts. When you're in a current, it's nice to just relax and be carried. When it comes to God's will, it's like letting yourself let go of everything you thought you had control of (but actually never ever did), and just being carried by it. No fighting, no struggling, just letting go and trusting that the current will guide you to safety (which is not the reality with most currents..this only works for the analogy). All this is not to say that there's nothing we can do or should do. We have responsibility to act in trust, to choose, and to endure in the current.
In God's will, like a current, even though you may not see the end of the line, you know you'll be in good hands on your way there. But just because you're in good hands, doesn't guarantee a smooth ride. You'll hit bumps on the way, run into some snags, like tree trunks or branches. However, all that doesn't stop the current from flowing, and it doesn't remove you from the current. Whatever obstacles you face in the stream are meant to foster endurance, perseverance, and the character of God in you. When you work through them in God's strength, and from His point of view, transformation happens. Spiritual maturity happens.
After being brought through what has felt like a thorn bush or a collection of thick branches, I'm still in among the branches. But instead of struggling against the current, trying to find my own way through, I've been just letting the current guide me, and I'm finally starting to grasp grace, peace, and contentment in Christ.
So, the spouse hunt is finally off, forever. No sense in worrying or rushing if what you desire is what God desires, everything else will inevitably fall in place. Don't stress, just enjoy the ride.
I think the best way to describe trusting and obeying God is like being carried by a current. I've never been in a current before, so I don't quite know what it's like. However, I've made a whirlpool in an above ground pool, so I guess that counts. When you're in a current, it's nice to just relax and be carried. When it comes to God's will, it's like letting yourself let go of everything you thought you had control of (but actually never ever did), and just being carried by it. No fighting, no struggling, just letting go and trusting that the current will guide you to safety (which is not the reality with most currents..this only works for the analogy). All this is not to say that there's nothing we can do or should do. We have responsibility to act in trust, to choose, and to endure in the current.
In God's will, like a current, even though you may not see the end of the line, you know you'll be in good hands on your way there. But just because you're in good hands, doesn't guarantee a smooth ride. You'll hit bumps on the way, run into some snags, like tree trunks or branches. However, all that doesn't stop the current from flowing, and it doesn't remove you from the current. Whatever obstacles you face in the stream are meant to foster endurance, perseverance, and the character of God in you. When you work through them in God's strength, and from His point of view, transformation happens. Spiritual maturity happens.
After being brought through what has felt like a thorn bush or a collection of thick branches, I'm still in among the branches. But instead of struggling against the current, trying to find my own way through, I've been just letting the current guide me, and I'm finally starting to grasp grace, peace, and contentment in Christ.
So, the spouse hunt is finally off, forever. No sense in worrying or rushing if what you desire is what God desires, everything else will inevitably fall in place. Don't stress, just enjoy the ride.
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