“…But put on the Lord Jesus Christ…” Rom 13:14 (NLT)
The sea of life is filled with storms of every kind. I need a life-preserver. Everyone needs a life-preserver.
In the natural there are different types of life-preservers. Narrowing it down to two types, the first is a flat ring that a person can grab and hold. It is for emergencies only. The other kind is a suit that covers the body. This frees one to enjoy the journey.
Emotionally and spiritually we all need to put on Christ as our Life-Preserver. One sure recipe for failure is getting into the habit of using other people as a life-preserver in place of God.
Take, for instance, looking for a spouse. When that dream is our main focus, it becomes a matter of life and death to us…our life preserver. In this mindset we reach out, grab hold and hang on for dear life when someone comes along that attracts us. This eventually strangles the relationship. Only God can handle that kind of intensity. Only God is to be worshipped.
To be joyfully single requires a focus on relationship with Christ. What is your purpose in life? Seek after God and his ways first, then volunteer in an area you feel passionate toward, learn to give Bible studies by going along with one who is gifted in that area, or save up to go on a missions trip. The opportunities in God’s purpose for singles are unlimited!
These steps may sound simple, but our emotions are our struggle. To really change from the inside out we need God’s help.
No need to beg, God is waiting for your decision to follow Him no matter what, spouse or no spouse, then He can work in you, giving you life more abundantly. In other words, when you give up being frustrated or angry at God for your singleness or other situation in life, then He can begin to accomplish His purpose in you. John 10:10 “…My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
By the way, if a spouse is in His plans for your future, don’t worry about your geography. No matter where you live…big city or rural town…belong to a large church or small, it only takes one…God will bring that person in your life at the right time. But your mind must be made up to make Him your only Life-Preserver, and you will be tested on this. Oh, and don’t be alarmed by silence. Remember, the teacher is always silent when giving a test. Take time to know Him then you will be able to trust His love in the silence during times of testing.
Positioning another person as our life-preserver will make us feel deperate, whether we are single or married. That feeling of desparation will cause us to feel panicky, hurting someone as we try to grab hold of them, seemingly our ’last chance’ to keep from drowning. On the other hand, making God’s purpose your main focus sets you free, free to enjoy their company. If in the end they go on their way, you still have them as a friend. Or if you marry, you have a life long partner, but that person still is not your life-preserver. That relationship only belongs to the One who created us.
For all of us putting on Christ is not using God as one would a flotation ring…only in emergencies…reaching out to other things and people as they float by in this life. Choosing this lifestyle, we neither enjoy our relationship (or rather lack of it) with God which affects every other relationship. But when we choose to put on Christ, we enjoy His presence. We begin to radiate an attractive confidence that comes only from daily relationship with the One who made us. We are complete in Him. (Col 2:10)
I learned early that I needed a life-preserver. My mother, living in a storm tossed marriage, learned how to put on Christ and shared that knowledge with me. She shared it when I took it willingly and applied it when I didn’t! She never wavered in her trust in God to preserve us.
Jesus is the only Life-Preserver that is trustworthy. There are many counterfeits but He is the only one that can take us safely through death and judgment, the last and final storm we all must face.
The terror is gone because we know we are safe in Jesus.
