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okrox -> RE: Why are you still single? (7/8/2008 12:02:38 AM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Prairiehiker
I think a lot of us are single because of our own doing. Perhaps it's a belief system that's not really biblical, perhaps, it's issues, socials, psychological, emotional, etc, that we have that we refuse to work on, perhaps it's because of choice, perhaps it's "false contentment", or we could be single long enough and we don't know how to let someone else in our lives even though we profess with words that we want to. For me, the longing is deep but my actions don't seem to reflect that I want to be married. It's something I have to work on. There's been a lot of men that's been attracted to me, but the moment they get close, I ran away. I can't blame that on God. It's my issue to work on. I believe that if I wasn't like that, I'd never be single for a long time, but as it is, I go years without even dating.
I think at times, we pretend that we're content with being single, but in reality, we're not. We're using those those as an excuse to move and pursue a relationship. We use the "waiting on God" excuse, the working for the ministry excuse, the 'not wanting to make a mistake" excuse. We use the Jeremiah 29:11 verse about God knowing the plans he had for us, but if you look at the context of the verse, it's about God's very specific promise to a specific people to bring them out of captivity in His time. What did God say to the Jews before those verses?
Jeremiah 29:5-9
Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." 8 Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. 9 They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them," declares the LORD.
There it shows how God commanded people to live their lives. This is His instructions. He didn't tell them to passively wait for every little instruction to come from him regarding how to do this. We have the bible for that. I really think we are trying to live our lives like God is micro managing us, when in reality, we are given so much freedom. No doubt that deciding to get married requires a lot of wisdom and discernment from God, but I don't believe that it's one of those things that God will drop in my lap in His chosen time. Marriage is part of living, like finding a job, or going on a mission. It's a decision we make and finding a mate is an action we pursue. Within the will of God, or course.
How did I miss this post? It is brilliant, Prairie. The most sense I have seen yet on the subject. Thank you!
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