Navigating Singleness: Finding the Right Spouse through Trusting in God

If you’re a single person, you need to understand something. The word “single” does not mean that you’re not whole; it means separate, unique, and whole. You’re whole and complete in Christ. “So you have everything when you have Christ, and you are filled with God through your union with Christ” (Colossians 2:10, TLB). You are not a “half” looking for your other “half.” You don’t want some needy, single person who thinks his or her life is going to be better just because he or she is with you. It takes two “whole” people to make a ‘whole’ marriage.

Now, if you’re single and desire to be married one day, there’s a definite criteria that you should be looking for in a mate. Back in the day, the Church used to preach that God has the perfect mate for you. I don’t believe that, and now I know that’s not true. Joshua 24:15 says, “Choose you this day whom ye will serve… but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

If you have a choice about whom you’re going to serve, you definitely have a choice about whom you’re going to marry! I don’t believe there’s a perfect choice (meaning the only choice you can make) but I do believe there’s a good choice.

The first criteria set by the Bible is that the person be born-again. If you’re a Believer, you should marry another Believer in order to avoid being unequally yoked. “Stop forming inappropriate relationships with unbelievers. Can right and wrong be partners? Can light have anything in common with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 10:6, GW).

Secondly, don’t look for somebody you can live with; look for somebody you don’t want to live without. My wife was somebody I didn’t want to live without. To this day, I tell her, “Baby, you know you all I got!”
A lot of men pray for somebody pretty. “She got to be fine!” But “pretty” and “fine” might turn out to be “ugly” on the inside! The Bible says a man should be asking God for a prudent (wise and understanding), intelligent, wife (Proverbs 19:14, AMP), a woman who can benefit you because of her intuition. Men reason a lot, but women are built with a lot of intuition. There are some things she knows without having to go through the reasoning process. You don’t need a “yes” woman; you need a woman who can talk to you about you! What are you going to do with a woman whose only thing going for her is a weave and makeup? How is that going to help you? That’s going to frustrate you one day.

If you’re a single woman, you need to pray for a husband who is merciful, gracious, and kind. Don’t ask God for a light-skinned or fine man! Even if he’s not all that good looking, he’ll begin to look good to you when he’s merciful, gracious, and kind. A lot of women are single right now because they’re looking for what “looks good” instead of what they need. You want to marry “tall, dark, and handsome,” and when you do, he turns out to be the same way in his spirit—dark!

You can’t go wrong when you put Jesus in the center of everything you do. You’re under the covenant of grace, which is your assurance that the Holy Spirit guides you in all of the affairs of your life—He knows everything about you. He’s your Helper (John 14:26, AMP). When you place your total trust and reliance on Him, He’ll lead you to make a good choice when choosing a marriage partner for life.
“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart” (Psalm 37:4, AMP)

Leadership that Matters: The Power of Vision, Purpose and Example

Leadership is a vital aspect of any organization, community or group. It involves the ability to guide, direct and inspire others towards a common goal and purpose. According to Lord Montgomery, leadership is the capability and will to rally people to a common purpose and character with a divine confidence.

Leadership incorporates a clear purpose and vision, which is the fuel for inspiration and mobilization. Without a vision, leadership is impossible. Proverbs 29:19 reminds us that "A servant cannot be corrected by mere words; though he understands, he will not respond." Therefore, a leader must have a clear vision of where they are leading their followers in order to generate passion for accomplishment.

Leadership is by example. The rise and fall of anything begins with the leader. Therefore, a leader must lead by example and set the standard for their followers to follow. Psalms 55:11-14 reminds us that "11 Destructive forces are at work in the city; threats and lies never leave its streets. 12 If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could I could hide from him. 13 But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, 14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of GOD."

Leadership is not just about the leader, but also about the people they are leading. Leaders don’t fail on their own, people make them fail. A leader must be able to influence, inspire, rally, direct, encourage, motivate, induce, mobilize, and activate others to pursue a common goal and purpose while maintaining mentor, confidence and courage.

Developing a Christ-like Character: The Importance and Qualities of Character Development

Character development is the process of building and improving one's lifestyle and behavior. According to Proverbs 3:7, our actions and words should reflect the growth and progress we have made in our lives.

As believers, it is important that our character reflects that of Jesus Christ, characterized by meekness, love, and humility. We should not be associated with the negative characteristics of the world, such as pride, slander, backbiting, and lying. It is not just our identity in Christ that matters, but also our actions and words, as stated in Matthew 7:16, "You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles?" Our behavior defines our true religion, and the word of God serves as a mirror for us to evaluate our conduct.

To develop one's character, it is important to always live with the word of God, act upon it, and surround ourselves with wise individuals. Proverbs 13:20 states, "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." Additionally, making firm and determined decisions also plays a key role in character development.

The importance of character development cannot be overstated. It allows us to live out our salvation in our daily lives, serve as a light to the world, and fulfill the great commission. To truly follow God, we must have a character that aligns with His teachings, which can only be achieved through studying His word. We are also ambassadors to the world, as stated in 2 Corinthians 3:1-3, and our Christian lifestyle should be enough to communicate the message of the Bible. Furthermore, developing one's character also leads to blessings from God, as stated in James 1:25 "But whosoever looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the word, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

Some key qualities of character development include honesty, humility, love, servant hood, integrity, diligence, wisdom, courage, moral excellence, discipline, self-control, perseverance, compassion, forgiveness, patience, humor, gratitude, kindness, respect, generosity, selflessness, faithfulness, and trustworthiness.

Finding Strength and Peace in Difficult Times: A Look at Matthew 5:31-34, 11:28-30, James 1:12, Psalms 34:19, 34:10

Life is not always easy and simple. We all face difficult times that can leave us feeling weary and burdened. It can be easy to doubt God's goodness and love during these times. But the Bible reminds us that God is faithful and that we can find strength and peace in Him, even in the midst of difficult times.

Matthew 5:31-34 reminds us not to worry about our basic needs, such as food, drink, and clothing, because our heavenly Father knows that we need them. It also encourages us to seek first His kingdom and righteousness, and that all these things will be given to us as well. It also tells us not to worry about tomorrow, for each day has enough troubles of its own. This passage reminds us that God is sovereign and that we can trust Him to provide for our needs.

Matthew 11:28-30, invites us to come to Jesus when we are weary and burdened and that he will give us rest. It also tells us to take Jesus' yoke upon us and learn from him, for he is gentle and humble in heart and we will find rest for our souls. It also says that Jesus' yoke is easy and his burden is light, which is a reminder that God's burden for us is not heavy but it's light and easy to carry. This passage reminds us that we can find rest and peace in Jesus, even in difficult times.

James 1:12 tells us that blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. It's a reminder that God is faithful and that He will reward those who persevere through hard times. This passage reminds us that we can find hope and encouragement in the promise of future reward.

Psalm 34:19 and Psalm 34:10 also remind us that God is faithful and that He delivers us from all our afflictions and that those who seek the Lord lack no good thing, even when life seems difficult. This passage reminds us that God is our refuge and that we can find strength in Him.

In conclusion, these passages remind us that God is faithful and that we can find strength and peace in Him, even in difficult times. They remind us that we can trust God to provide for our needs, to give us rest and peace, to reward us for our perseverance, and to be our refuge. We can find hope in the promises of these verses and in the faithful character of God.