Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Those who want to come with me must say no to the things they want, pick up their crosses, and follow me."(Matt. 16:24)
Hi beautiful!
Some of the most difficult moments during my walk as a single woman where when God asked me to surrender a love relationship. Not once, not twice, but several times! It was really hard. Just when my heart was hopeful of seeing a relationship blossom, God spoke to me and said, "My daughter, this is not the man I have for you. I have a better a plan, surrender this relationship to Me." What?!
To be honest with you, by the time God spoke these words to me, those relationships were already going downhill. In the fog of my own fantasies, I was hoping that those relationships would work, that those guys would fall madly in love with me, and to have that happily ever after ending that every couple longs for. But that was far from happening, those were empty relationships that were leading to nowhere.
In time, I learned that the man that God had for me was going to be a man determined to fight for my heart, rather than someone I needed to pursue. It would be a man that would love God, rather than I someone I needed to convince about my faith. It would be a man who would love me, before I would fall in love with him.
I was obviously not walking in the order of God. I was obviously doing things my own way, instead of God's way. I was trying to rush into relationships out of fear of ending up alone, desperate for feeling loved, cherished and accepted. As a result I was not obtaining God's blessing.
"I believe that every Christian single that wants to receive a spouse from God will have to go through the process of surrendering a love relationship or the desire of being in a relationship. It might not make any sense to you, and perhaps it is going to be emotionally difficult. But God knows what's best for you. When you surrender, you are trusting that His plans and His ways will bring forth a much better outcome than if you do things your way."
(Love On Hold Book excerpt.)
Surrendering your desire for love to God might not always be easy, but it will be critical to obtain the godly spouse you are waiting for. When you surrender a love relationship to God, you are showing Him obedience and trust. And when God sees your faith and your obedience, He is truly pleased with that.
In my book, Love On Hold, I dig deeper into the topic of surrender. I explain how and when to surrender a relationship to God, key signs that the relationship does not come from God, and what the Bible says about the power and the blessing of surrendering. If this blog post spoke into your life, this is just the tip of the iceberg! Get the tools you need to navigate your journey as a single woman with Love On Hold.
I pray that as you surrender your desire for love and walk in the instruction that God will give you, doors of opportunity will open and blessings will be poured out into your life.
For the love you truly deserve,
Cintia Stirling
