You’ve been studying with us for a while, you’ve grown tremendously in Christ, and you’ve finally met someone that you think might be the person Heavenly Father has ordained for you to marry. This is breaking news for us of the best kind! We can’t tell you how blessed we are to receive news like this, but we also understand your concerns about what comes next. You’re excited as all get out, but you’re also a little afraid. You’ve been single longer than you would have liked, and you really can’t fathom the thought of another set of years like the ones that are hopefully behind you.
There’s very little that compares to having hope fill the crevices that were once occupied by loneliness. The future you’ve prayed about and visualized is coming into view. The manifestation of your faith and believing has produced the harvest God said it would. You’re looking forward to now planning for two in real time, and that’s a little intimidating because you want to get this thing right.
One of the things we know about the mind is that it will revert to old habit patterns if it is not stimulated to do otherwise. God tells us in His Word how to combat this. He tells us in Ephesians 4:23 to be renewed in the spirit of our minds. Now that you’ve arrived at the place where you hoped you would, you can’t forget what you’ve learned.
You think to yourself, “of course I won’t forget!” But we humans forget important stuff all the time. God tells us that we can guard our hearts and minds, and prevent this from happening. To preserve your relationship with the new person and keep it moving in the positive, guarding your mind and heart is a must. There are some very important practical gems in God’s Word that will help us to stay on track. The first of these is to be sure we’re keeping our emotional register in check.
Keep Your Emotional Register in Check
Sometimes we are so anxious and excited to invest in the new prospect that we use up all of our emotional energy on the man and leave crumbs for our relationship with God. We don’t mean to do this, but it is a mistake that can happen very easily. Heavenly Father is in the business of helping you preserve your relationship through the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will be to you what Naomi was to Ruth.
You may receive a directive from the Father that might not make sense to you. It may even seem illogical, but the Lord is commanding you to do it because it will minister to your new beau’s heart in a way that no other woman has been able to do. If your mind is not stayed on Jesus, and you’re compromising your time with him, you might miss this.
Watch out for Down Low Haters
Remember what it took for you to get to the place where you are today. You took some bad advice from a few well-meaning folks, and it set you back. Protect what you have. Always remember that sometimes friends are not seasoned enough in God’s Word to dole out the kind of counsel and advice you need. God will always give you someone on whose wisdom you can depend. Let Heavenly Father tell you who this person is, but always seek Him first.
Also, remember that everyone who says they are happy for you might not necessarily be. Despite what they present, a few sisters will hide behind a wall of jealousy while smiling in your face. Again, protect what you have and demonstrate good stewardship over the blessing God has placed in your hands. Don’t broadcast to others the details about your relationship. Share only those things in which God has given the ‘ok’, and share only with the people that He’s okayed.
Don’t Give-in to Restless Faith
I don’t need to tell you that the enemy hates unity, and will try to use your relationship with the new person as an instrument to thwart your devotion to God. Your eyes must be wide open to this tactic. Little aggravating things pop-up. Details and shortcomings that you don’t like about the new boo might surface. You start to think, “Maybe God didn’t bless me the way I thought. This person may not be a good fit for me. Things are not progressing as I expected.” Dude might even pump the breaks a little. Don’t let this make you restless in your faith.
When you make your faith all about the person—about what he is or is not doing, you’re headed in the wrong direction. It’s not about him, it is about your relationship with Heavenly Father and your trust in Him. God’s got your back. You don’t want to place yourself in a position where you’re binding the wrong things on earth, and thereby binding them in heaven. Rely only on the Lord. He’s your sufficiency, and He will work through the new boo to be a blessing to you.
You ushered in this phase of your life because you trusted God. Let that same trust carry you through to receive all the other wonderful things Heavenly Father has in store for you. Never waver in your stand to be sold-out and fully persuaded in His love. Assure Him through your continued stand on His Word that you will keep the faith, steward His blessings, and continue to grow and go higher in Christ. Never forget, whether it’s new or old, there’s no greater protection for your relationship than your obedience to God.■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“BREAKING NEWS!!! Now What?”, written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2017. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.