I know, it's been way too long since I've posted, and I sincerely apologize for my lack of posts recently. There is no excuse, only my laziness and forgetfulness... Sorry!! :( But I'm back today, and I'm writing lots so hope you can stay with me today!
When I opened my new window to post today's blog, I had my topic all picked out and knew exactly what I wanted to say. It wasn't about Luke 10, though... it was about what it really means for True Love to Wait. A friend posted a link to another blog that talked about True Love Waits and what it really meant in her life. I thought about what she said and I began to see how it applied to my own life, so I thought I'd share my reactions with you here. Now here's a catch: I hadn't even read Luke 10 today yet when I opened up this page to write. But for some reason (that is, God's prompting) I though, "I should probably read the chapter for today, there might just be something about my planned topic in there." And guess what?! There was something!! (I'll get to that in a minute, though, so just be patient.) So without further ado, I bring you my thoughts.
Like I said, this all started with someone else's blog. Her topic one day was about True Love Waits. That's a pretty popular slogan/"promise" that's been going around middle and high schools for a while. In case you don't know what True Love Waits is, it's basically a program that encourages pre-teens and teenagers to wait until marriage for sex. There are ceremonies, certificates, and sometimes purity rings that are symbols of these promises. To tell the truth, I was actually a little jealous of the girls that got to go to these types of events and get pretty jewelry to wear and show off. I understood the promise behind the symbols and had made the same promise myself, but I wanted a way to show it as well.
That symbol came shortly after my high school graduation. Three weeks after graduation, I slipped a small ring on my left ring finger. It is a gold band with a small garnet stone and diamond chips on either side in the shape of a heart. It's beautiful if I do say so myself. I even had it inscribed with 1 Timothy 4:12, which says, "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." I decided that this ring was going to be a symbol of my promise to God, myself and my future spouse to keep myself pure until marriage. There's also something else about the ring that makes it special: it belonged to my great-grandmother. So not only was it a purity ring, but also a family treasure, something that I have to remember my granny.
After reading this person's blog today, however, I realized I had made a terrible mistake. I was using this ring as a symbol of my promise of abstinence only. What's so bad about that? On the surface, there's nothing wrong: I'm saving myself until marriage, just as God commands me to do as a Christian. But what about the hidden expectations behind the symbol? What about the expectations I place on God?
What??? Me placing expectations on God? I'm promising something to Him, not asking Him for something! Sounds weird, but it is true. In a way, by making this promise I expected to have something in return. And what is it that I expect in return? A husband. That's right: by promising to keep myself pure, I kind of expected God to send someone who would fit my expectations of a husband since I kept my part of the promise.
This isn't how it works at all. God commands us to follow Him with our whole heart, even when it's hard, but He doesn't promise us anything in return. But then again, why would we want anything in return? Shouldn't He be enough for us?
I saw a parallel to this in Luke 10 when I read it, specifically in verses 38-42. It's the well-known story of Mary and Martha. I see Martha as being a woman who is doing all that she can to make her more suitable as a wife, worrying about the food to be served and the cleanliness of the house. But look at Mary. Where is she? Is she concerned with becoming the "ideal wife"? No. She's sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to and learning from what he says. I think this is such an important idea to see. Yes, Martha was rightly concerned with the duties that were expected of her; however, she doesn't see where her focus SHOULD be. She begins to neglect the importance of Jesus Christ over the expected tasks. How many times do we, especially females, do this? How often do we get caught up in what society tells us to do so that we might make ourselves more "presentable" as future wives?
In closing, I'd like to share with you a quote from that original blog post:
"I learned that it’s not bad to pray for a husband, but that my greater prayer should be for Him to spend my life as He chooses for His glory."
That's what my focus should be: what is God's plan for my life so that I can bring Him glory?
Thanks for sticking with me! I know this post was long, but I felt that there was so much to share! Check back soon for my thoughts on Luke 11! :)
(As I mentioned earlier, this all started with another blog. If you are interested in checking it out, heres the link: http://gracefortheroad.com/2012/02/03/idontwait/)
When I opened my new window to post today's blog, I had my topic all picked out and knew exactly what I wanted to say. It wasn't about Luke 10, though... it was about what it really means for True Love to Wait. A friend posted a link to another blog that talked about True Love Waits and what it really meant in her life. I thought about what she said and I began to see how it applied to my own life, so I thought I'd share my reactions with you here. Now here's a catch: I hadn't even read Luke 10 today yet when I opened up this page to write. But for some reason (that is, God's prompting) I though, "I should probably read the chapter for today, there might just be something about my planned topic in there." And guess what?! There was something!! (I'll get to that in a minute, though, so just be patient.) So without further ado, I bring you my thoughts.
Like I said, this all started with someone else's blog. Her topic one day was about True Love Waits. That's a pretty popular slogan/"promise" that's been going around middle and high schools for a while. In case you don't know what True Love Waits is, it's basically a program that encourages pre-teens and teenagers to wait until marriage for sex. There are ceremonies, certificates, and sometimes purity rings that are symbols of these promises. To tell the truth, I was actually a little jealous of the girls that got to go to these types of events and get pretty jewelry to wear and show off. I understood the promise behind the symbols and had made the same promise myself, but I wanted a way to show it as well.
That symbol came shortly after my high school graduation. Three weeks after graduation, I slipped a small ring on my left ring finger. It is a gold band with a small garnet stone and diamond chips on either side in the shape of a heart. It's beautiful if I do say so myself. I even had it inscribed with 1 Timothy 4:12, which says, "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." I decided that this ring was going to be a symbol of my promise to God, myself and my future spouse to keep myself pure until marriage. There's also something else about the ring that makes it special: it belonged to my great-grandmother. So not only was it a purity ring, but also a family treasure, something that I have to remember my granny.
After reading this person's blog today, however, I realized I had made a terrible mistake. I was using this ring as a symbol of my promise of abstinence only. What's so bad about that? On the surface, there's nothing wrong: I'm saving myself until marriage, just as God commands me to do as a Christian. But what about the hidden expectations behind the symbol? What about the expectations I place on God?
What??? Me placing expectations on God? I'm promising something to Him, not asking Him for something! Sounds weird, but it is true. In a way, by making this promise I expected to have something in return. And what is it that I expect in return? A husband. That's right: by promising to keep myself pure, I kind of expected God to send someone who would fit my expectations of a husband since I kept my part of the promise.
This isn't how it works at all. God commands us to follow Him with our whole heart, even when it's hard, but He doesn't promise us anything in return. But then again, why would we want anything in return? Shouldn't He be enough for us?
I saw a parallel to this in Luke 10 when I read it, specifically in verses 38-42. It's the well-known story of Mary and Martha. I see Martha as being a woman who is doing all that she can to make her more suitable as a wife, worrying about the food to be served and the cleanliness of the house. But look at Mary. Where is she? Is she concerned with becoming the "ideal wife"? No. She's sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to and learning from what he says. I think this is such an important idea to see. Yes, Martha was rightly concerned with the duties that were expected of her; however, she doesn't see where her focus SHOULD be. She begins to neglect the importance of Jesus Christ over the expected tasks. How many times do we, especially females, do this? How often do we get caught up in what society tells us to do so that we might make ourselves more "presentable" as future wives?
In closing, I'd like to share with you a quote from that original blog post:
"I learned that it’s not bad to pray for a husband, but that my greater prayer should be for Him to spend my life as He chooses for His glory."
That's what my focus should be: what is God's plan for my life so that I can bring Him glory?
Thanks for sticking with me! I know this post was long, but I felt that there was so much to share! Check back soon for my thoughts on Luke 11! :)
(As I mentioned earlier, this all started with another blog. If you are interested in checking it out, heres the link: http://gracefortheroad.com/2012/02/03/idontwait/)
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