Written by Mrs. Shaffer
As most of the single young adults in our church know, we have been in wedding and betrothal season! The excitement fills the air and there are three new couples in our church with stars in their eyes! They are all ….quite twitter pated! (in love!) Happiness abounds and with their parent’s blessing they are headed toward the marriage altar.
With every betrothal and wedding…there are others who struggle with mixed emotions. Some girls realize that their bosom childhood friend will no longer be available to pal around with like she once was. Her sense of loss is real, while at the same time she may be truly happy for her friend. She will find herself in a circling pattern of emotions not knowing exactly where to land. Where does she fit in the grand scheme of things? If left unchecked, she will find herself in the pity pit real quick.
Other girls may sense the emotions of jealousy or bitter envy creep into their heart and they may find themselves slipping into depressed thinking. This girl may wonder within her heart why there doesn’t seem to be anyone for her? She may feel rejected or unwanted. None of these attitudes bring glory to God for sure, and all of them reveal a lack of faith in the Lord. These times can be very spiritually revealing in a young person’s life.
What is a single girl supposed to do at a time like this?
Romans 12:15 “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, ……..”
1. Think Biblically! If you have real Christian character, you will desire to rejoice over the blessing of another. Let yourself be genuinely happy for the couples that have been betrothed or married. Show it. Speak it. Being willing to share in the joy and blessing of the moment, is a beautiful gift to give another. There is nothing more
stressful or dividing for two friends, than to have one who is over the moon with joy and anticipation and to have the other depressed, withdrawn and defeated. Be in unity with your friend. Share their happiness and you will find that friendship bond strengthening even more. You are not losing your friend (unless you go into moping); you are just changing tracks in that friendship! True friendship endures.
I Corinthians 13:4-8 “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things endureth all things. Charity never faileth….”
Give the blessing of true love and friendship to those that rejoice!
2. Don’t go to a corner and pout. That three year old reaction is the behavior of a carnal, self-serving person. I have seen young men literally leave a church because someone else got the girl he wanted. His leaving only solidified that the girl and her family made the right choice for her. Spirituality never wallows. Spirituality is never conniving or desperate.
3. Grow your own faith in the power of God. Do you really believe God can move mountains? Do you believe He can move mountains for you? Do you trust that He sees your own longing for a husband? Do you have faith that He can bring one to you just as He did for your friends? How you practice that faith reveals whether you have it. Faith waits on God. Faith doesn’t search and prowl. Faith doesn’t go out on its own quest. Faith focuses on the Supplier and leaves the big decisions to the LORD. Do you have the trusting, depending kind of faith?
4. Live like you believe God can do anything for you too! Submerge yourself in the things of God. Be a blessing in every way you can. Refuse to join the ranks of the depressed and mournful. Let the joy of the LORD be your strength! It will be contagious and invigorating to yourself, your family and all of your friends. Find people and ministries that you can give yourself to ……as you wait on God for His will for the rest of your life.
Genuine joy is hard to suppress. God takes note of your merry heart and sweet disposition. His plan is always in motion whether you see it or not. Eyes of faith will wait on God’s plan ….no matter how long that takes. In the meantime…go on and “rejoice with them that do rejoice”! Make a testimony for yourself that speaks of great faith in the Lord and sincere pleasure for the blessings of others.
You never know when “someone” may be watching…
3 comments:
This is it exactly! I hope we all heed this wisdom. There will surely be other times in life where our faith and charity will be put to the test and revealed! Bottom line: Who are we serving? Do we really want to bring glory to God in our life or is really all about me? Even now, I am reminded to take inventory of my heart.
I needed this "pep talk," and I didn't even realize it until I started reading! I think you just put "the air back in my tires" so I'm ready to go the next several miles :) I love you, Mrs. Shaffer, because you never seem to grow too tired to instruct the younger women. Thank you! Diana
Thank you dear Diana. It always helps when those "younger women" have a teachable heart. That is what sets you apart and endears you to my heart too. I'm missing you here in Africa!
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