Controlled Freak

Have you ever been called a CoNtRoL fReAk? A term like that usually doesn't leave a warm fuzzy feeling inside. I was accused of being this one time. Fortunately, it was settled upon that the satatement was irrational and a result of miscommunication. If a control freak is someone who is always putting forth an effort to control things or people, then could someone who is always allowing themselves to be controlled considered a "Controlled Freak?"

Did you know that according to this logic YOU are a "controlled freak?" That's right, you and me and everybody. Everyone is being controlled. No, I'm not talking about government mind control experiments or the barrage of advertising that surrounds our daily lives. I am referring to something very real that many people never even notice.

Every day we are being controlled by a force which is more powerful than our individual will, though our will does play a part in the matter. There are two forces at work. Our natural inclination (sin nature) leads us to carnal things or things of the flesh. These are things which we choose to satisfy our flesh. It is a wide range of earthly-type things and not just sexual things, as the term "flesh" may lead you to assume. Being bound by this desire to satisfy our wordly wants is known as Sin Law. It is what we are headed toward without God, and when we are under Sin Law we are unable to please God. The good news is that we have an option. We do not have to be bound by sin law and controlled by Satan.

We can choose to hand over control of our lives to God. There are no other options. Many people may try to lead you to believe that there are many options and we can choose to control our own lives, but giving control of your life over to your personal desires places you back under Sin Law as we can not escape our sin nature. How can we please God if we can not escape our sin nature? Though it is true that it will always be a part of us, it does not have to be our mindset or our direction. If we choose to give control of our lives over to God then our minds change and are driven towards eternal things which will last past this world. These are called things of the Spirit. When we seek things of the spirit in our mind, then we follow the path established there. One can not walk across the room without thinking first to walk there. Allowing God control of our lives and placing in our minds things which are eternal is following the law of God. The result of following the law of God is life and peace. It is important to recognize "life" AND "peace" because life without peace is hardly life at all. God is the one who provides these, and they are not available to those under the law and of sin, for the mind set on the flesh is death. Death, being the result of living under sin.

Our bodies will pass away or be transformed, but if we are living according to the law of God with our mind set on things of the Spirit then we will not pass away, because things of the Spirit are eternal. Evaluate your life and figure out what is important to you because many of the things we live for daily will quickly pass away. How much of what matters to you will last?

Reference: Romans 7:14-8:10

On Relationships- Always moving closer or apart?

By: Jim Pinckney

In the past few years I have come to a lot of conclusions about relationships and love. You may have seen some of them in other notes or status updates I have posted. I am always trying to refine my ideas and boil things down to the bare truth. I find that when the things I propose are based on scripture, they tend to hold true much better than if they are simply products of my reasoning.

One such product of my reasoning which I put forth a couple of years ago was that relationships are always moving in one direction or another. This is to say that if you feel led toward someone then you must pursue this person or else they will drift away from you. Is this true? Probably. Is this truth? Maybe not.

I'm sorry if that seemed confusing, but it is necessary in making my point. I believe the reason this proposition is true is because we, as a society, make it true. God leads us to people of both sexes for many reasons. The least of these reasons being a dating relationship. I say "the least" not because it is the least important, but rather because it is the least likely. Certainly God does not intend for us to date every person we come in contact with who intrigues us or strikes our fancy. We make the proposition true by distorting the truth.

We are so consumed by not letting the "right one" slip through our fingers that we feel the need to pursue every relationship put in our path as a dating relationship. We think, "I feel so close to (or in love with) this person that I can not pass up this opportunity." Truth: God wants us to feel close to and in love with our brothers and sisters in Christ! (Matthew 5:46-47, 1 John 3:10-11, Acts 2:44) Make no mistake that when I speak of "love," I am not referring to anything sexual. If you are looking for more on the subject of Love then I recommend you see my note "Love: A Commitment Forgotten."

God sends people into our lives for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes we are to be encouragement or council to them. Other times they are to be the same to us. Is it possible for us to be mature enough to handle a friendship with someone of the opposite sex? If you feel it is not possible for you to accomplish that right now then you have no business pursuing a more intimate relationship either. If you are not mature enough for a friendship with someone of the opposite sex then you should be working on your relationship with God instead of looking for a date or something more physical.

If you meet someone whom you pursue a friendship with and they begin to drift away from you because you do not initiate a "further" relationship then I assure you that person is not ready for that "further" relationship. I'm not saying that such things have never worked out in the past. God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28), but that doesn't mean that it's the best way. If you are seeking God's will for your life then you need to take heed of what He is saying to you and not just enter into things hoping for the best. God wants great things for your life. He has plans for you! Allow Him to shower you with all the blessings He has for you by following Him closely and seeking His face daily.

Develop friendships. God has a purpose for them in your life. Cherish the frienships God allows you, and nuture them with encouragement and blessing. I am sure they will bless you in return. Finding that your marriage partner is your friend could be amazing! What better a person to be with than someone whom you deeply know and trust and whose relationship with you has withstood time and trials?

Be careful next time you say "just friends." Friendship is meant to be a close and powerful relationship. Be thankful for your friends, and tell them that you are. Love is a powerful force. Do not leave it out.

Love: A Commitment Forgotten

These are the words written upon my heart.

There is no greater an existence than that of Love; for God is Love. To testify to His faithfulness all of His creation radiates His majesty without end, His flawless plan is evident through His word and plays out daily, and His promises stand firm to comfort us if we choose to take hold of them. God's love for us is one that is ideal, perfect even.
There is much to be learned by studying God's love. God's love is even His very nature. Though, as sinful man, we can not achieve such a perfect nature we are meant to strive toward the example of love God has given us. The aspect of His love that has been on my heart and my lips for about a year now is that of commitment. It is the "big picture" throughout history, and it was meant to be the aspiration of our hearts. God has always been faithful. He has been faithful to to His creation and to His word.
This leads us to examine our own commitment, especially towards those things which we say we love or those things which we should, as directed by God's word, love. Of course, our commitment to God will never come close to that of His to us, but through examining our commitment we are able to find areas where we can make improvement. What is your commitment to God like? What about your commitment to your family, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, and those who have yet to hear the gospel? How many people do we come in contact with almost daily that we pay little notice of? These people, our neighbors, we are to love only second to God (if even "secondly" rather than "in addition to").
This seems like a lot. What a huge undertaking! How can one commit to so many people?? God gives us a starting place: to love Him with all of our being... with everything that we are. We start here without worrying of neglecting the rest because we can have faith that as we grow to love God, we will become more passionate about loving the rest of His creation. He creates in us the heart which is required to perform everything He asks of us including this huge undertaking of loving so many people. We can also prioritize by observing our situations. Are you married? Do you have children? Whether or not we acknowledge them as such, these people are responsibilities (and so much more). These relationships require MUCH commitment. This includes our time, loyalty, devotion, and passion as well as others. It is important to remember that the more our relationship with God grows, the more we will have a passion to love and serve these others so do not neglect your commitment to God for these others! In fact, it is God's design that we incorporate our commitment to Him in every aspect of our lives including sharing with others about it. This especially applies to family. One GREAT way to incorporate this into family life is to have a family devotion time. What a better way to commit to your family than to share with them concerning the words of LIFE we have been given by God, and to grow together in the very Love that IS God. There is NOTHING better to be imparted to anyone. There is no secret, no magic, no power, no hidden meaning, NOTHING better for anyone than the Word of God which brings us Life.
This is all said to help you remember that next time you say "I love you" or even hear it said, you remember what sort of commitment is involved with those words. I say this that you may know that there is not "falling out of..." commitment. It is no accident. Love is not a feeling you get. Listen to me when I say that you may love without having any feeling. I pray that in your love you are filled with marvelous feelings, and I know that God will certainly bless you in your love.
As pertaining to relationships in which love is involved, the world and it's culture has perverted and distorted, almost beyond recognition, what true love in most any relationship is to look like... is to be like. This note can not be long enough to accurately detail such things, and there is little point in even trying to do so as we are given all that we need concerning this matter in God's word. This is one of the many reasons it is so important for us to live in His Word daily. We can not trust what society portrays as truth or reality. Satan uses such things to distort the world we live in and rob us of many blessings God has in store for us. Don't be quick to judge the relationships of others. There are points when relationships go against the guidelines set up by God's word and need to be corrected (among brothers and sisters in Christ who have such a basis of faith for their lives), but it is also important not to let tradition impact us in such a way that we are led to condemn relationships and aspects thereof simply because of what is generally acknowledged in culture as okay or good. The other side of this being that we are not to go against God's Word or the laws established by our government unless conflicting with God's Word. It is important to remember to act in love- in this forementioned commitment, with respect and humility, in accordance with the truth that is God's word.

Don't feel obligated to read all of the references right now as there are many, but know that they are God's Word and we are assured that it will never come back void, and therefore we can know that reading them is beneficial.

1 Corinthians 13:13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Joshua 24:15 "If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

Mark 12:29-33 Jesus answered, "The foremost is, 'HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; 30 AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.' 31 "The second is this, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these." 32 The scribe said to Him, "Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE BESIDES HIM; 33 AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE HEART AND WITH ALL THE UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL THE STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE ONE'S NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

Matthew 5:43-46 "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' 44 "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

John 14:24 "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me.

John 15:12-13 "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:19 "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.

Romans 13:8-10 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. 9 For this, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET," and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.

Ephesians 3:16-19 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 4:1-3 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,

Ephesians 5:28-29 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,

Philippians 1:9-10 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;

Colossians 3:14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

Colossians 3:19-21 Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them. 20 Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.

2 Timothy 2:22-23 Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels.

Titus 2:2-8 Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, 4 so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. 6 Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; 7 in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, 8 sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.

1 Peter 2:17 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

1 John 2:5-6 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: 6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

1 John 2:15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

1 John 4:10-11 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

1 John 4:18-21 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 19 We love, because He first loved us. 20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.

2 Corinthians 13:14 T he grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.

-Jim Pinckney

Using a vision from the past to come to understanding

When I held you in my arms I felt as though I was teaching you to fly; responsible if you fell and overwhelmed with joy if you flew. When my hand was on your shoulder I recalled all that I had taught you; every way which you had seen me live and manner of your being which I had instilled in you. When your face turned up toward mine I sensed every ounce of love I had poured out into your life. I knew that no trial was in vain. I saw my love in you and it flooded my soul with joy. With a single embrace we recounted the years, though not many, we spent clinging to each other. Nothing would take me away from you. Nothing would separate our hearts. The world will show you how to resist, but you will always remember.

Nothing can be taken from me which is of value to me. My hope is in Christ alone. I seek first the Kingdom of God and neither look to my left nor expect from my right. I know only the ending. I know that love counts, but fear the consequences of a love that lacks perfection. A love subject to loss. A love subject to separation. A love that lacks complete understanding. I enjoy not knowing how my provision will come, but only whom it will come from and that it will indeed arrive. There is no one dependent upon my provision and therefore no responsibility for me to explain how or where that will take place. How could I explain a system in which I believe and know only by faith and experience.

Philippians 3:8-11
I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

The first paragraph is what I felt in a dream I received about 4 years ago. In that dream I had three children. I believe I was given a glimpse of what it feels like to be a father. It was so amazing and so real. I told people about it for weeks, and I will never forget it. The responsibility and the attachment where so huge. It seems a world apart from where I am right now. I have a hard time rationalizing how my life can be both. I know there are still feelings and mentalities to be weeded out. Thinking on this makes me feel like a family is farther in my future that I care to admit or imagine. I long for a family, but even greater is my passion for fulfilling God's call on my life.

Lord, my God, show me my next step.

Reach Out or Talk Smack: Luke 15

Luke 15 is a good "escalator" passage. I gave a message on it this morning and these are some of my notes.

Luke 15:1-10

-Jesus' view of sinners was different than those of the Pharisees and Scribes. -God VALUES His creation. -Emphasis on the importance of sinners coming near to Jesus. -We shouldn't reject or look down upon sinners drawing near to or seeking Jesus.
*Repent of our grumblings (grumbling is never a good thing) against those who are unsaved and those who reach out to them.
- Don't be the Pharisees or the Scibes: These sinners' lives are VALUABLE to God! Itt's easier and more comfortable to talk with and be around people who are already saved, and it is imperative that we DO fellowship as believers, but we must also remember how much God values the lives of sinners and the unsaved and place value in what God values as well.
*Repent for times we have neglected to reach out to them.
- People will seek God who are unrefined, unlearned, and generally unattractive to us. We must remember that we were once without Jesus too- No matter how far-removed we are from that now. We must welcome and encourage these people to contuinue to seek Jesus. (then we sang the first verse of amazing grace and reflected upon the grace God's has given to US and asked for forgiveness for times when we were not so willing to reach out to those who were seeking God)
* Rejoice when sinners draw near to Jesus or seek Him!
- Realize the importance of [repentance for the unsaved] vs. [those who are already righteous] It's easy to dismiss people who are annoying to us and accept those who are more like us, but again we must take value in what God values.
***Will we be the ones grumbling (like the Pharisees and Scribes) or will we sharing the word of God?
- It's easy to talk about people- to judge their situations, motives, and acquaintences, but we have to choose whether we will be grumbling or sharing the word of God and the life-giving good news about how Jesus Christ died to cover our sins.

The Metaphor

This is it. This is what it is- not what it is about. It makes sense to relate it. It is not a question. It is not a deep mystery. It is a perspective through which light is released upon the events, decisions, and actions which are my life. I hope it can teach you something- that it might spare you pain and misery. It's not me. Im not it, but I am writing it for you so I hope that you can at least respect it for being what it is: my effort to help.

One escalator goes up. One escalator goes down. They both move continually. If you are on the escalator moving upward you are moving up, but if you are on the escalator moving downward you are moving down. Either way you are moving. You may choose to walk opposite the direction of the escalator's movement. Maybe you decide to match its speed as to occupy the same space of air, yet you are still moving. You may choose to stand and ride the elevator as it carries you upward or downward. You may also choose to walk up or down the elevator as to increase your rate of progress in the direction you are heading, but if you are on the escalator you are moving (aside from emergency stops and nightly shutdowns).
We are always moving in one direction or another. From the moment we are conceived to the time we pass away we are heading in some direction. We can stand idly by and let life carry us as it may, but we are still heading in a direction. Standing idly is a choice just as running is a choice. This is not to say that there are not circumstances which are out of our control, but rather that we have a choice to make about how we handle any situation. We have a choice in the direction our life is heading. Each one of our actions, our thoughts, our emotions is guided by a choice. Mostly, we choose badly. We claim that we can not help it, yet we are still responsible for our choices. We are responsible to our society, to our government, to our creator. "Not moving" is not an option in this life. In which direction are you moving?

Relationships- January '07

I haven't written a blog in a long time... wow. I figured that I would just write on what has been on my heart. This is not so much specifically as of late as it has been generally for a LONG time now.
I think I will start by mentioning the BEST relationship that anyone could possibly form. I can tell you that this is true from my own experience, but I would like to note that you should not take my word for it. From my experience and from the truth of God's word: the best relationship you can form is that between you and Jesus Christ. No one has ever or will ever love you more (not even your girlfriend or your mom). He died for you. It is one thing to say that you would die for someone. It is another to actually do it(and profitably for us might I add). He died for you and me so that we can live FOREVER. Your girlfriend isn't going to be your girlfriend forever. Your mom will not be your mom forever. Sorry if this comes as a shock, but if you are married... your husband or wife will not be your husband or wife forever. Jesus accomplished something for us that has an eternal effect. If we give our lives to him and accpet him as our savior we WILL live FOREVER. He did this out of love for us. The least that we can do is accomplish something eternal for him. Otherwise we are really just serving own selfish desires. If it's not going to last then what good is it doing Jesus. Tell someone what Jesus has done for you so that they might know how to accept him as their savior and be a part of eternity. I mean... this life is SO short. What about the people you love? Don't you want them to be around longer than the 50 or 60 more years that you MIGHT have? Tell them about Jesus' love and pray for them so that they can experience Jesus' love too.
A friendship.
99.9% of the world today (this is my own statistic) underestimate what a true friendship is. There is SUCH a great capacity within a true friendship. People think that just because people hang out a lot and are close to each other that they should be dating or maybe even that their relationship apart from the label of "dating" is inappropriate. Given that there are some boundaries that should not be crossed, this is TOTALLY not the case. Being close to other people is ESSENTIAL in surviving todays world. The world is harsh. We have to stand up for each other and be there for each other. If I don't show you love, how are you going to know that I understand the struggles you are going through and WANT to help you through it. I may not have been there exactly, but I gauruntee that I have faced similar or proportionate struggles. It is important to have people in your life that you are going to be able to relate with that are not necessarily your girlfriend or boyfriend (as it is important not to force these things into our own timeline, but rather to allow God to reveal such things to us when He has it planned); the kind of people that are going to be able to comfort you, but will not try and take advantage of your situation. I would like to take this opportunity to let all of my friends know that this is how I feel about our friendship. If you are struggling you should know that you are not alone. Many people are. If you need someone to talk to, I would recommend that you first pray about it, but DEFINITELY if you need another person to talk to...come and talk to me. I can usually listen pretty well (despite my bad hearing, I really can listen). In summary, having close friends is a wonderful thing. Just because friends are close, it does NOT mean that they have to or should date. It is prefectly normal and RECOMMENDED that guys have close guy friends and girls have close girl friends.
First a friend.
This is my recommendation... I have witnessed a lot.
If you are considering dating someone based on how physically attractive they are... stomp on your toe and attribute the pain to your ignorance in how relationships work. If you are considering dating someone but do not know very much about them... maybe you are skipping a step. Let's take this back a step. What is the point of dating? Companionship? A feeling of emptiness? Hormonal fluctuations? Social acceptance? Negative. Let's tackle these one at a time. If you are seeking companionship I would recommend that you first look to Jesus (I will get to this in more depth a little later) and then to friends (not that close physically intimate companionship *that should wait* . If you are feeling an emptiness it is probably NOT because you don't have a girlfriend or boyfriend. I can think of two reasons for this. 1 you are hungry...eat a sandwich. (if this doesn't fill you up... and it probably won't, then DO NOT EAT ANOTHER SANDWICH, instead try number 2) 2 you need to develop a closer relationship with Jesus (again, hold on for this one). Hormonal fluctuations... these are gunna happen unless you are a rarity and if you are...count your blessings! Having these fluctuations is normal, but it IS NOT an excuse to use people and it IS NOT an excuse to do whatever you FEEL like. We have to be accountable for our actions...and though it may not seem like it sometimes, we ARE held accountable for our actions and we WILL have consequences for our actions. Avoid putting yourself in bad situations where you may end up compromising your moral integrity(if you dont have this moral integrity you might want to look into that... the Holy Spirit helps a lot and if you know Jesus as your Savior then the Holy Spirit is living within you!). As for social acceptance... doing anything because you are trying to impress other people is probably NOT a good idea. Don't let any man(or woman) cause you to lose your prize. I can testify that it is not worth lowering yourself to try and make yourself look normal or average. We are not average. We hold ourselves to a higher standard. If someone calls you "gay" because you do not have a girlfriend or a boyfriend... then so what. Might it hurt your feelings? Maybe Will it kill you? Probably not! Are you better off for having suffered and standing true to what you believe rather than comprising and fitting in with sin and death? YES YES YES! You ARE better off! So, why then would we date? If dating is the route that you choose to take after many hours of prayer and listening to God, then dating will be your means furthering your relationship with someone whom God has shown you to be fitting as a companion in your life and ministry. This DOES NOT mean that just because you are dating someone right now, you need to marry them. We are human and we make mistakes... we misinterpret the Bible...we misinterpret what God is saying to us. When Gods speaks to us, He comfirms the things which He says in our lives again and again...not numbers or signs in the sky, but through His Word, through wise counsel, and through the church (not the building). Dating and becoming emotionally attached (and possibly physically attached) to numbers of people is NOT advantageous and hinders both your and their walks with God. If you really care about someone... be willing to wait to hear from God if it is something that he approves of. First be a friend... if nothing more comes of it then so what...if you have accpeted Jesus as your savior and are going to Heaven... you LITERALLY have an ETERNITY with that person whether or not you spend your lives together here. This life it so short that the amount of time you would spend together here is SO INSIGNIFICANT compared to what you do(ie. the things of eternal significance that you accomplish) in the ammount of time that you have here. Eternity HAS to be ENOUGH! A relationship with a TRUE friend is all you could EVER ask for. Anything more is a BLESSING from God. If you care about someone let them know. Don't push a dating relationship. Pray about your relationships and give it to God. I hope that you all find relationship that are full of meaning and support.
Back to the BEST!
Just like forming these relationships with others... you have to spend time with Jesus to form a relationship with him. This is not to say that because God is everywhere you are spending ALL your time with Him?!?! If you knew someone your whole life and walked past them 100 time per day and NEVER spoke to them you would not know them very well. Even if you heard things about them... you couldn't know whether it was all true or not if you did not spend time getting to know them. Spend time with Jesus. Talk to him!!! LISTEN to him! Yes!!! He talks back!!! It may not be the "voice from the clouds," but Jesus speaks to our hearts. It is not a matter of whether or not he is speaking to you. He is! It is a matter of how well you or if at all you are listening to him. Be still and listen to him. Spend time in the Bible (which is a great source of information about him by the way) praying and talking to him and listening to him. You like to hang out with your good friends right??? Well make Jesus your good friend and spend time with him. It will bring you a sense of companionship like NONE you have ever had before! It will get rid of that emptiness that you may have had and fill you with an unspeakable JOY. The joy of knowing Jesus well will make you BURSTING AT THE SEAMS with a passion to accomplish His Will for you! Try it.