Re: What Does The Church Tell Older, More Experienced Singles? "Just Wait On The Lord
Just for the record.. I liked what you said here even before I saw that you mentioned me in it.
I think there's a bit of a danger in 'waiting on the Lord' for a spouse. i think it paints a picture that while i'm sitting in my recliner eating ice cream and watching die hard, there will be a knock on the door of my future wife who needs help with a stalled car that coasted to a stop right at my mailbox and that I happened to have the right part for because I ordered the wrong thing on line two days prior and so she comes in and and I had miraculously cleaned the place up just hours ago and she says "is that chocolate mint?" and i go 'yeah' and she says 'that's like my favorite' and i say 'you know what, i've got plenty and you look like you need a break - so you sit here and let me see if i can get ya back running' and she says 'you would be such my hero, this is like a God-send that i landed here' and i think....... ..... no. Because it doesn't happen and i wake up and i'm still sitting in a recliner with melting ice cream.
Instead, i'm reminded of the parable in Matthew 25 about the master with the bags of gold. He gives much to each of his servants according to their abilities and he gives one guy 5 bags of gold, another 2 and another 1. The man with the most gold makes 5 more and such with the man with 2, but the man with 1 bag was afraid and knew his master was a hard man, so he buried his gold so he wouldn't lose any of it. The master came back and was very pleased with every one who doubled their gold but the man who buried it was admonished because he didn't even earn the interest on his gold. His gold was then given to the man with the now 10 bags of gold.
I think God gives us gifts and expects us to use them. To some He give much and to other He gives less - each according to our abilities - but He expects us to take our gifts and make more. in much the same way, I like Zero's response to stop waiting and start dating. Start an ACTION. Invest your gold if a new spouse is what you want to spend it on. Some are content with not really wanting a spouse, but I think the danger in 'waiting' is a form of sloth.
Instead, i'm reminded of the parable in Matthew 25 about the master with the bags of gold. He gives much to each of his servants according to their abilities and he gives one guy 5 bags of gold, another 2 and another 1. The man with the most gold makes 5 more and such with the man with 2, but the man with 1 bag was afraid and knew his master was a hard man, so he buried his gold so he wouldn't lose any of it. The master came back and was very pleased with every one who doubled their gold but the man who buried it was admonished because he didn't even earn the interest on his gold. His gold was then given to the man with the now 10 bags of gold.
I think God gives us gifts and expects us to use them. To some He give much and to other He gives less - each according to our abilities - but He expects us to take our gifts and make more. in much the same way, I like Zero's response to stop waiting and start dating. Start an ACTION. Invest your gold if a new spouse is what you want to spend it on. Some are content with not really wanting a spouse, but I think the danger in 'waiting' is a form of sloth.