Being Single

A friend texted me last night & said "check out 1 Corinthians 7!!!" I looked it up & I knew it had been too long since the last time I read that chapter. If you haven't read it in a while, or at all, and you are single ... you need to.

I think it sounds a bit like Paul is trying to cover himself when he says it's better to be single ... but it's ok to be married, but it's good to be single, but it's good to be married ... kind of like he's arguing with himself ... but I understand where the guy is coming from.

A few parts that stuck out to me: verse 27, "If you are married, stay married. If you are not married, don't try to get married." Not a lot of gray area in that scripture. In verses 29-31 it basically says the world is coming to an end & it doesn't matter how happy you are here - this is not our home. God's coming back & it won't matter if you're married or not.

In verse 35 it says, "...I want to help you to live right and to love the Lord above all else." That was Paul's heart & entire message.

I needed to read this chapter again ... and probably again and again! It is easier to focus on serving God & following Him completely when you're not distracted by trying to make someone else happy. It makes sense. Still, I'm hoping this is not forever! Right now, I'm following the words of Paul & seeking to please & glorify God ... hopefully along the way I'll catch the attention of someone with the same priorities. Ironically, I had yet another person try to set me up with a guy today ... oh, the timing of all this. Humorous.

Praying

Lately, I've been praying really 'blunt' prayers, so to speak. Not much structure to them, just talking to Him, like a friend, and blurting out whatever I'm dealing with or thinking about. When I say it out loud, it tends to have a bigger impact on me.

Like I'll look around or at the ceiling & say,

"God, I'm really sick of being alone"

or

"God, I feel like I'm the only one still wanting to do right"

or

"God, I don't think I can do this anymore...I just don't know."

Just talking, out loud, to God with what's going on & allowing Him to speak to me & change my thinking. I hear the enemies lies when I speak out loud what I'm feeling, AND THEN I allow God's truth to come back in.

You don't have to put on a face for God. Like you've got everything put together, like you can handle it and you'll just "ration" out what you think God can or would handle concerning you today.

Let it all hang out! Tell God what's going on ... and then let Him handle it.