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Revive Our Hearts
“As for God, his way is perfect” - (Psalm 18:30).
During most of my single years, I was on a
desperate search for true love.
I was convinced that if I could only find the
right guy (you know, that knight in shining armor we all dream of), I would
finally be happy and fulfilled.
Despite my fairy-tale ideals, dating around was
not the romantic experience I’d always imagined it would be.
In a desperate attempt to find the man of my
dreams, I flitted from one relationship to the next, allowing my heart to be
trampled time and time again. I gave myself emotionally and even physically to
one guy after another.
Even though I managed to keep my abstinence
commitment and even though I dated mostly “Christian” guys, I knew that
something wasn’t right in this area of my life.
I hadn’t crossed certain physical lines, but I
still felt guilty and impure.
I was giving away far more of my heart, mind,
emotions, and body than I knew was right. I felt dirty, used, and miserable.
Little did I realize what amazing, beautiful,
life-altering plans my Creator had for me, if only I would entrust the pen to
Him and let Him write my story.
When I finally made the difficult decision to
surrender my love life completely to Jesus Christ, I was truly in awe of what
happened.
I had never thought of God as a romantic.
But never have I experienced such beauty and
romance as when God was at the center of my love life.
It only makes sense, when you stop and think
about it.
God is the Creator of love and romance. Marriage
was His idea in the first place.
What better Matchmaker could we ever find than
the One who created us and cares more about us than we can comprehend?
Psalm 18:30 says, “God’s
way is perfect.”
When I turned this sacred area of my life over
to Him, the words of this Scripture were proven absolutely true!
At first glance, God’s pattern might seem
anything but “perfect.”
That’s because His way is completely opposite of
the sensual, self-gratifying trends of the culture.
Following His pattern requires sacrifice,
surrender, and patience.
Before we can truly grasp the perfection of His
ways, we must first exchange our desires for His desires.
Yet once He becomes our focal point, we begin to
truly take delight in the heavenly brilliance of His pattern.
Parents and siblings are not ostracized; they
are honored.
Romance is not rushed; it is carefully
cultivated.
And sacred words aren’t casually expressed; they
are saved for sacred moments.
There is no question that God’s way is not the
easy way.
But it is far more beautiful and infinitely more
fulfilling than any shallow, pleasure-seeking, self-built relationship ever
could be.
God’s way of building a relationship is perfect.
Though following His way does not provide
instant gratification or satisfy our selfish wants, the beauty of His amazing
pattern is truly beyond compare.
Only those who have fully surrendered to Him can
truly comprehend this reality.
Recently I was able to watch the beautiful, new,
Christian film Princess Cut. Here’s a sneak peek:
Watching this movie was like a walk down memory
lane for me.
The story caused me to relive the extraordinary,
challenging, and thrilling adventure of what God did in my own life twenty
years ago.
After two decades of married life, I was
reminded of why my life, marriage, and family have had such an undergirding
grace, it all began with that critical decision to let God write my love story.
I encourage you to watch this film and be
inspired with a vision for what is possible when you leave the pen in God’s
hands, allow Him to redeem this area of your life, and let Him write your love
story.
Remember that choosing God’s way always leads
to victory and joy, even if the outcome is different from what we always hoped
for.
If you are struggling with disappointment,
disillusionment, or impatience in this or any other area of your life, ask God
to replace your desires with His desires.
Only when we delight in Him can our desires become purified and fulfilled by the One who created us and cares more about us
than we could ever imagine.
Revive Our Hearts was birthed
following Elisabeth Elliot's retirement from the Gateway to Joy radio
program. We have great respect and gratefulness for Elisabeth and her ministry.
Read more about Elisabeth in this Revive Our Hearts tribute following
Elisabeth's homegoing. View Website
https://www.idisciple.org/post/when-god-writes-your-love-story
You might also like:
LOVE STORY
(Where Do I Begin)
Originally Sung by
Andy Williams
Words by Carl Sigman
Music by Francis Lai
From the movie
"Love Story" starring Ryan O'Neal and All McGraw
CLICK HERE . . . to view complete playlist . .
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