Over the next week or so I will be posting a series about one girl’s struggle and success to finding God’s peace in her dating life. This wonderful girl’s name is Alisson, and she will be narrating the story. My prayer is that if you don’t know God, you will want to after reading this, and if you do know God, you will desire Him more because of his works through my friend.
The story begins at a Christian leadership camp in Oklahoma. A few months ago Alisson and my friend Julie met each other in a “family group” at camp. (Julie’s story can be read here.) Alisson and Julie soon found out they found out they were going to the same college in the fall.
During that week Alisson began to be convicted about her boyfriend because he wasn’t a spiritual leader to her. During one of her quiet times she came across a verse many of you have heard of, but the meaning is often over looked. Proverbs 3: 5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” Many people don’t realize the second part of this verse is a choice. Just like we have a choice whether we want to go to heaven or hell, we also have a choice to trust God’s direction or not.
Following the sound of God’s voice, Alisson called her boyfriend, Tate later that day and broke up with him. After begging and pleading his excuse to keep her with him was “You never told me you wanted to be lead spiritually!”
Girls you shouldn’t have to ask to be led spiritually. Later that evening Tate called Alisson over and over again, telling her that he was going to change. Because that was exactly what she wanted to hear, she jumped for it, and as time went on he did change and he did stop drinking, but only because she had begged him too, not because he was in love with the Lord.
(Alisson’s narrative begins..)
When the first week college rolled around, one of the first things I did was visit Julie at her dorm. As soon as I walked in, she asked me about Tate. I told her that he was the perfect one for me and that we were talking about getting engaged and making plans for marriage! Apparently Julie had had this on her heart because she immediately started telling me why I shouldn’t marry him and used scripture to back up her reasons. At this time I realized she wasn’t joking, she was serious.
She then shared a passage with me from Matthew 8:23-27 basically asking me where my faith was. In this passage Jesus calms the storm. However, if you remember once the storm arrived Jesus was sleeping.
The disciples ran to Jesus to wake him up saying, “Save us Lord; we are perishing!”
“Why are you afraid, o you of little faith,” said Jesus.
At this time Julie looked up from her bible and said, “You don’t trust God do you?” As I began to speak she jumped in again, “…with everything? Do you trust that God will be enough for you until He brings you your prince charming?”
I responded, “No. My biggest fear is that I will end up single.” She then showed me an illustration with her computer desk and a bottle of nail polish remover. The nail polish remover represented me. She then placed it at the edge of the desk; half on and half hanging over the edge. She looked at me and said, “This bottle is you-- you trust God with some things, but you don’t trust him with everything.”
At that moment Galatians 1: 10 popped in my head:“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
Who am I pleasing? Me, Tate, or God?
I went home to dig into God’s word and seek his direction. That night God showed me verse after verse telling me that I needed to trust Him and let Him have the controls for the rest of my life. Some of the verses I read that night were found in Psalm 9:10,10:4, 18:30 ,Psalm 19:14, and Psalm 20:6-7. That night God forgave me for being away so long, and I committed my life to doing His will.
(To be continued...)
Have you ever felt convicted by God about who you are dating? Ever broke up with someone because God told you to? Do you have a hard time letting go of what you want and grabbing on to what God wants? Why? What causes you to doubt? Is singleness your biggest fear?
