Content

"Love is a strange thing. Love is a phenomenon of the human experience that even science cannot begin to explain. The idea that two people who are meant to be together will actually find each other among the 7+ billion people in the world is absurd. But love is love when you find the person with whom you're "meant to be". There is a lot of truth behind the cliche "meant to be". God has someone picked out for you, me, her, him, your best friend, and Drake. The hardest part isn't finding the person. The hardest part is being patient because God already has found the person. Actually, God has already created the person. We get so impatient sometimes, as the thirst consumes us, but our future better halves are in the same struggle we are because they're waiting too. So when it comes to relationships, this is what I've learned to be true: where you're headed is way more important than how fast you arrive. Direction triumphs over speed every time. God's got your back. He knows where you're going, what job you'll have, and what godly person He has waiting for you. And when God's ready, He'll show ya. 

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 


God has your plan already laid out. All you have to do is follow God, and He will lead you where you are meant to go."

-Blake Phillips-

Let's be honest. I'm a person who likes to live out her days planned step by step. I like to know what's going on and what's going to happen. I don't necessarily like anything unplanned and I shudder at the thought of unexpected events happening throughout my day. I have a schedule of goals for the day and I like to stick to it. Nothing is out of place.

But, not all my days work out like I want them to. My entire schedule falls apart and I'm struggling like crazy to put it back together. It's those days that I believe in God's sense of humor. As He places an unexpected moment in my day, He wants to see how I handle it. He wants to see if my patience can withhold His surprises.

When God wants me to be patient, He provides me things that DEMAND patience. 

So, obviously, when it comes to my romantic life, God really wants me to be patient. I mean, he really wants me to be patient. 

What is patience anyway? 

Patience is the ability to endure. It is the capacity to be wronged and NOT RETALIATE.

So, I bet you're wondering why I'm talking about patience and my nonexistent romantic life. You see, in college, I feel that society expects us to find that significant other. You know what I'm talking about. Society wants us to find the one who is "meant to be" with us. While some of us may have found that already, there are still a lot of us who struggle with the idea of a soulmate to do life with. 

Take me, for example. I've told you in posts before that I have been single for quite some time now. I've been out on dates. I've had and still have crazy crushes. I've had short relationships with a few guys (nothing that lasted longer than a few months). I've never had my first real kiss. 

There are days that I struggle with being single. I long for someone to live my life with. I want that connection. I want someone I can give my heart to and have him give his to me. That want will never go away. I already know this. But, that doesn't mean I have to live my life with bitter resentment as others find their significant other. 

I know that God has someone out there waiting for me. (Or maybe, He doesn't. Maybe, He wants me to serve Him in my singleness. I won't know until it happens.)

This is where patience and contentment comes in to play. We must learn to be patient and content with where we are in life at this moment and God's glory will be revealed to us. Take a look at chapter four of the book of Philippians. This is such a great passage on focusing on contentment in your life.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)

Pray. Do not be anxious. The two verse above tell us all we need to know about contentment. God has got a handle on this. He has that perfect person for you in mind. In fact, this perfect person is already created by Him. Your soulmate is already walking the Earth, waiting to meet you (or maybe they already have, you just don't know it yet).

Contentment in our lives just goes back to trusting in God's ultimate plan. His way is perfect and we must put our faith and trust in that. We have the unwavering, unconditional love of God to sustain us for the rest of our days. How can we question that? That's just it; we can't. 

I found this quote the other day that put everything I think about my single life into perspective:

"Sometimes, it takes learning how to be perfectly lonely, just so God can show you what being PERFECTLY LOVED feels like."

This is so true to our lives. God never stops loving us. His love is perfect. We just need to take a step back in order to see that. 

So, whether you are in a loving relationship, married or are living out your days still looking for Mr. or Mrs. Right, remember to be content in your lives. God has a perfect plan for each and every one of us. He has the perfect person picked out for us and will be there for us when we meet him/her. 

My friend, Blake, shaped this idea in a great way. God, in a way, is our wingman. No matter the circumstances, God is always on our side and has our backs in the highs and lows. 

Before signing off on this post, let me leave you with one more verse. This one is found in chapter 8 of the book of Romans and I feel that it perfectly sums up this post:

"And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)

In His Love.

Superhero

In my last post, I talked about the sin of comparison and of jealousy. I realized (with some help from a friend), a few days later, that I only discussed the evils of the sins. Now, inherently, all sins are evil. That's something that we cannot argue. However, for a little while, I want to discuss the differences between jealousy and admiration, between unhealthy comparisons and healthy comparisons, between idols and role models.

In order to move forward in our spiritual growth, we, as Christians, need to appreciate the value of a role model.

We are called to emulate others ("Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example." -Philippians 3:17), even as they sought to emulate Christ ("I am so glad that you always keep me in your thoughts, and that you are following the teachings I passed on to you." -1 Corinthians 11:1).

Now, you may be wondering why we are commanded to imitate others. It's probably because, as humans, we are natural imitators. As children, we pick up on our parents' mannerisms and begin to imitate them. As teenagers, we (whether good or bad) seek to imitate our peers and those celebrities we hold in high regard. Then, as Christians, we usually seem to imitate those people we hold in high regard (such as preachers or elders).

However, we should look at the value of role models, as we are supposed to be careful with whom we imitate.

We are supposed to look at good role models. These are people who:

1. By example, show us what is possible.

        An example of this is of John who, in the book of Mark, was called a son of thunder (Mark 3:17) and then, as time goes on, grows and matures into an apostle of love (1 John 4:7-8).

2. By example, each us how to reach the same goals. Goals such as:

         a. enjoying a relationship with God. ("Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me--everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you." -Philippians 4:9)
   
         b. remaining steadfast in the midst of trials. ("That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So, we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever." -2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

You see, there is a difference between being jealous of someone and admiring them.

Let's go back to my friend, Blake. He loves Eminem. Is he jealous of Eminem? No. Does he want to be Eminem? No. He says that he and Eminem "use the skill of rhyming in different ways and stand for different ideals. But I still compare myself to him because it makes me better".

Choose to imitate someone who makes you a better you. That's what makes for healthy comparisons.

I like to use the term superhero to describe my role models. They are my superheroes--the people I look up to for my faith, my relationships, and a lot of my life. They are people who, while I was in my depression, were the ones to encourage me and to lift me out of the dark hole I had dug myself in to.

So, whether you are a "superhero" to someone else or you find a "superhero" in someone else, just remember:

Admiration is productive. Jealousy is destructive. 

Choose love. Choose life. Choose positivity.

In His Love.