(Genesis 2:18-24)
With yesterday being my 17th wedding anniversary,
I
felt led to deal with one of the greatest prayer requests I get daily on our
Liveprayer.com website and in my personal email. Libraries full of books
have been written on the subject of man/woman relationships, it is the
source of some of our greatest joy in this lifetime as well as our deepest
pain.
There are NEVER easy answers due to the complicated nature of each one of us
individually, than trying to blend two unique people into one relationship.
Rather than try to deal with this very sensitive subject from a broad
perspective, let me try to narrow the focus and deal with many key issues
based on our final authority for all matters of life, God's Word. Let me
say right up front, every situation is different, every situation has its'
own
unique circumstances. All I am going to do is to try to open up a little
bit of what the scriptures have to say, so don't get mad at me if you don't
like
what God has to say. Also, I can tell you from years of counseling, that
most people are in difficult situations because they have ignored God's
Word. Making a decision to follow God's plan is going to be the first step
for
many of you to get out of some very difficult relationship situations.
In the Book of Genesis, Chapter 2, we see the man/woman relationship
introduced. You will notice this was God's idea. God had very clear
defined roles for the man and for the woman. God's plan was for one man,
one woman,
one lifetime. This is serious. I am very much against young adults under
18 involved in dating. There are raw, new emotions that can lead young
people
into life destructive situations. Young people dating is like letting a
12 yr old drive on a crowded freeway. They can probably do it for a while,
but a
crash is inevitable. The choice of a mate for life is very serious, and
there is
no such thing as "casual dating" because your feelings aren't casual. There
needs to be much prayer, much pastoral counseling, and clear signs from God
on both sides that this is what God wants for both the man and woman.
Once you are married, there are a whole set of new hurdles. People changing
and not being the "same person I married." Infidelity, which for the record
is not only sin, but just a totally selfish act that never has a happy
ending. Conflict over raising children, money, where to live, activities,
etc., etc. Divorce, which by the way the Bible declares "God hates." This
is why, just like you must work daily at your relationship with God...which
if
you noticed from past devotionals includes actually spending time with God
daily...you MUST work daily on your relationship with your spouse. It
doesn't happen by osmosis. The two keys have to be spending time together
and communication. A relationship where either of these elements is missing
is doomed. You cannot make two unique people into one without spending time
together and communicating. I am not even going to discuss a man and woman
living together out of the covenant of marriage. That is pure unadulterated
sin and there is no condition when it is acceptable. Again, don't get mad
at me, God wrote it not me.
I pray daily for so many requests that deal with this issue. Young people
caught up in romances at an age when they have no business being intimate or
emotionally involved. Married couples going through separation or divorce
over a myriad of issues. People who are single fighting through difficult
issues, usually from disobeying God's plan. I want you to understand
because this is such a common issue. You can do it your way, or you can do
it God's
way. God's way works, your way doesn't. And you can't try to combine the
two either. There is an incredible amount of peace and joy and intense
gratification from a proper, Godly relationship between a man and woman.
There is an incredible amount of pain and heartache and intense grief that
can affect you for the rest of your life from an improper ungodly
relationship.
I will be praying for you today to let God speak to you today. You know
where you are at in regard to this issue. God can heal wounds, help you to
overcome if you are serious about doing it His way. I am believing today
for the marriages of those in trouble. God is a God of restoration. Don't
give
up. I love each one of you and care about you. Be encouraged today. God
has a plan. He didn't leave it up to us to figure these things out. Follow
His
plan and I promise you that you will experience the best this life has to
offer, because that is all God ever wanted for His children.
