If you’ve been happily married to your childhood sweetheart for years on end, no matter how well-intentioned it may be please don’t try to comfort someone who without intent has the network television schedule for Friday and Saturday night committed to memory. They’re not in the mood.
If you are one of the aforementioned network television weekend schedule memorizers, and you espy an attractive single member of the opposite sex who seemingly has it all together yet remains dateless, there’s probably a very good reason for that lying beneath the enticing surface.
While a strong argument can be made that in neither the Old nor New Testament is there a specific preclusion of single adults having relations, focusing on the New for a minute while there are specifics no-nos (laying pipe with a prostitute) there are two clear guiding directives in this area. First, the passion of lovemaking is a symbol of the passion with which Christ the Bridegroom loves His Bride the church as well as a sign of the sacrifice He made for it. Also, be mindful of Paul’s admonition about how our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and we are not our own; we were paid for with a price, therefore honor God with your body. Puts the kibosh on passing ourselves around like a bowl of after-dinner mints or asking others to do the same, what say?
Short version of the above: don’t give away what isn’t yours to give away.
Yes, there is understandable frustration when you’re flying solo and you’d much rather be riding a tandem bicycle. Sometimes it’s going to boil over. No, I don’t believe God minds if during those moments you yell at Him. That said, don’t be offended if He yells back.
Unless you attend a church that either has a congregation that outnumbers the entire population of Nebraska or where no one ever gossips under the guise of publicly praying for each other, you might want to consider not putting all your eggs into the resident singles club… er, ministry basket.
Neither force yourself upon nor flee from someone. You do not know how it’s going to turn out. You. Do. Not. Know.
The only relationship without risk is the one with Christ. He is there with you no matter how things turn out. Trust in Him to both guide the relationship He blesses and heal the wounds from the relationship He had nothing to do with initiating. Believe me, He’s got lots of experience in the realm of being rejected.
Don’t quit. Just don’t quit.
