Godly Sorrow

2 Corinthians 7:8-12, "I know I distressed you greatly with my letter. Although I felt awful at the time, I don't feel at all bad now that I see how it turned out. The letter upset you, but only for a while. Now I'm glad—not that you were upset, but that you were jarred into turning things around. You let the distress bring you to God, not drive you from him. The result was all gain, no loss. Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets. And now, isn't it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You're more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you've come out of this with purity of heart. And that is what I was hoping for..." (The Message)

No one likes to hear, they have been living wrong. Trust me, no one wants to tell someone else they are headed for death. I have been on both sides of the scolding, and both sides I have loathed. When I was young, I was often getting the oral punishment. I hated it and wanted to tell the other person "they were wrong," so that I could go and do my own thing. But, now that I am older, I just hope these younger ones will listen to someone who has already been there.

Paul is speaking here about two different kinds of sorrow. There is a sorrow for the consequences, that inevitably always come. And, their is a sorrow that leads to repentance, a change in our hearts, so that change in behavior inevitably follows. If it is a sorrow for only the consequences, we are doomed to stay in our life of sin. I did this for many years. I was always looking forward to the times when, I thought, I was getting away with "it" and just having fun. It was worth the risk, for my heart about the matter had not changed. The sorrow that leads to repentance is a godly sorrow. It is a sorrow that hits us in our hearts. It takes us to our knees and allows God to finally control our life. This sorrow and true repentance is the gift that He gives us, just before we are born again, fresh and new with Him. This sorrow gives life. The other, only leads us further and further from truth, deeper and deeper into unfathomable consequences.

If we will open our eyes just long enough to see who really loves us, maybe we will be able to listen. If we can listen to their reproach, then maybe we can hear Him calling us to a better life. If we will just listen enough, and stay long enough, then maybe we can see what true living is all about.

Oswald Chambers, "We have the idea that God rewards us for our faith, and it may be so in the initial stages. But we do not earn anything through faith— faith brings us into the right relationship with God and gives Him His opportunity to work. Yet God frequently has to knock the bottom out of your experience as His saint to get you in direct contact with Himself... Faith by its very nature must be tested and tried. And the real trial of faith is not that we find it difficult to trust God, but that God’s character must be proven as trustworthy in our own minds. Faith being worked out into reality must experience times of unbroken isolation... Faith, as the Bible teaches it, is faith in God coming against everything that contradicts Him— a faith that says, 'I will remain true to God’s character whatever He may do.'"

When my heart first began to change, I did not trust that I would enjoy a new life more. I did not have enough faith in God to see the boredom through, so that His true light could be felt. God had to strip me of everything that I was holding on to, and He had to reveal just how detestable I really was. For then, my blinders were removed and I could see myself for what I really was, a fallen, sinful woman, who was dying more, every day. This took time, for there was a war within me. The war eventually boiled down to, "do I believe in God?" Everything that we do, all boils down to this. Do you believe in God? Do you trust Him enough to finally let go and follow what He wants for your life? For what His true desire for is, is for us find out what true living is all about. Has someone come to you lately with a scold or a concern for your behavior? Are you willing to allow them to love you enough, for you to listen? What kind of sorrow do you feel? Is it a sorrow for consequences, or for a repentant heart?

http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/my-utmost-for-his-highest/10/31/devotion.aspx?year=2009

It's a Heart Issue

1 Corinthians 5:9ff, "When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people. It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, 'You must remove the evil person from among you.'”

This verse has been one of those touchy subjects that I have struggled with for many years. It is not easy. For when you tell someone they are wrong, they often come back with "don't judge me, or you are supposed to love and not reject me, for my sin is no greater than yours." But read it again. What does it say? You can see for yourself what we as Christ followers are supposed to do. This does not mean that we reject those who are weak in their faith and struggling. This does not mean that we are to expect a new believer to all of a sudden "get it all right and live perfectly." For we all do sin. None of us are perfect. However, it is a heart issue.

2 Samuel 12, Nathan confronts David about his murder of Uriah and adultery with Bathsheba. "Then David confessed to Nathan, 'I have sinned against the Lord.' Nathan replied, 'Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin. But you have given the enemies of the Lord great opportunity to despise and blaspheme Him, so your child will die.'” In this, you cannot tell me that David did not know that he was doing wrong before Uriah confronted him. He knew. He tried to hide it, and he married Bathsheba anyway. But, after he was drowning in his sin, then he was ready to listen and repent. That is when God called Uriah to confront the issue. However, David's confession did not take away the consequences for his sin.

God has called us to live to a higher standard. Even if we are doing the exact same thing as everyone else, by calling ourselves Christians, we are professing something completely different. This opens the door for unbelievers to blaspheme God. It is His name you are hindering and His reputation that you are tarnishing, because of the name you claim.

Did Uriah tell David to leave Bathsheba? No, David was married to her and that would just add more destruction upon sin already committed. They were now married, whether others liked it or not. But because of their sin, their children paid a very high price. His confession did not take away the consequences of his sin. His heart was ultimately for God, for He did not try and excuse his actions to Uriah. His response to Uriah was one of sorrow and shame. So here is the guide to revealing your heart. When you are confronted about sin you are living in, do you try and pass the blame on someone else? Do you make excuses and try to defend your actions? It does not matter how you have acted in the past about the subject. How do you act now? Are you full of regrets? You cannot go back and fix the past. You cannot change what you have done or who you have hurt, but you can have a truthful look at yourself and see what you have done to Christ's name, by how you have acted. Are you truly sorry, or do you try and excuse yourself, still?

If you are still trying to excuse what you have done, don't blame others for letting you go. They may be doing exactly what 1 Corinthians is instructing them to do. Don't sit and justify your actions and demand others to accept you. Look at your sin for what it really is and ask for forgiveness. Once we have done this, we are to try and live our lives from this point on to glorify His name. What are your responses to others, saying about your heart toward God? Once you confront someone and they confess their sin with a repentant heart, we are to forgive them and bring them back to Christ's love. From every angle, whether you are the one confronting or the one bieng confronted, it is a heart issue. What are your actions saying about your heart?

Child of the Most High God

As I was walking into the banquet, everything in me wanted to turn and run the other direction. Have you ever felt like a fish out of water, or that you had just arrived for a stoning to find out it was yours? This is how I felt. I don't know if you know much about Mennonites, but they are what I would call very conservative. The banquet was for Open Door Pregnancy Center, and over half of the 600 attending were either Mennonites, Nazarenes, or Amish. And here I was "dressed for a banquet", wearing a nice dress, high-heal boots, make-up on, hair done. The feeling of being a stripper just about over took me. I have not been one for many years, but in that room, I sure felt like one.

God knew I needed this night. You see God asked me, through The Open Door, to be their speaker (not at the banquet, but in the future) , to bring the message of how wonderful waiting until you are married before having sex can be. A center put together by the conservative of conservatives, and they have asked me to deliver their message to teens. This could truly only be God. There is no other explanation. I know this, but the feeling of condemnation just about got the best of me that night. My focus had turned to myself, instead of keeping my eyes on Christ. This never works, for if I look at myself, I see a pathetic woman who made all of the wrong choices in my life. I see a woman who was the worst of the worst, a sinner by a heathens standards. But if I keep my eyes upon my Lord, then I see His goodness and not my sin. For in reality we are all fallen, I needed Christ's forgiveness no more than anyone in that room. Without Christ, we are all fallen and live in sin. Oh, but how Satan tries to defeat us, before we have even begun. He tries to condemn us, before we even walk in the door. He has a way of trying to turn our focus away from Christ and back to ourselves.

Romans 3, 8, "But now God has shown us a way to be made right with Him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins....Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law... So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death... And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. For God knew His people in advance, and He chose them to become like His Son, so that His Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, He called them to come to Him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with Himself. And having given them right standing, He gave them His glory. What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won’t He also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for His own? No one—for God Himself has given us right standing with Himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us."

Wherever I go, whoever I am around, it does not matter and I should hold my head high. It is Christ who has saved me, and by knowing that, He has given me the power to walk into any crowd. He called me to go, so I must go. As long as I look to Him and keep my focus on Him, I will be fine. Whatever I do, it is for Him. I am only the one passing on His message, it really is not about me at all. It is not about how bad I was or how good I may think I am now, for all have sinned and no one can keep the law. All that matters is Christ. He has come to save us all, no matter where we have traveled. It is about His mighty saving power. It is about His grace. It is about His redeeming love. It is about the Cross. Romans 10:8-11, “'The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.' And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, 'Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.'” There is no condemnation in Christ. When that feeling tries to overcome you, hold your head high, for you are a child of the Most High God.

Oswald Chambers, "Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ . . . 2 Corinthians 2:14 We are to God the fragrance of Christ . . ." ( 2 Corinthians 2:15). We are encompassed with the sweet aroma of Jesus, and wherever we go we are a wonderful refreshment to God."

http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/my-utmost-for-his-highest/10/24/devotion.aspx?year=2009

Walking Dead

What is sin? Is there really such a thing as sin, or do we just make mistakes? Romans 5, " When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did." Sin is death. Sin is the thing we do that makes us feel dead inside. There is no life there. Everyone sins, they are not just some mistake that affects no one. Everything we do, everything we say that brings a feeling of death to either us or to others around us, is sin. Sin is death.

Some sin is obviously leading to death, and everyone can see it. Other sins are more obscure. You may think you are living, but you are still searching. I know for I was a walking dead person, and I can now see it. There was no meaning in my existence. There was no life there. I can see it now, for I was constantly looking for that next thing that would make me at least feel like I was having fun, for everything revolved around fun. If we are dead we know it, for we cannot be free to just be ourselves without the next high. Whether it is the next party with friends, the next boyfriend/girlfriend, the next intoxication, the next sexual encounter, the next.... what ever it is that you are looking to, to give you life. That is the walking dead. Nothing satisfied me, I was always looking to the next, whatever.

Romans 5:21- 6, "So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord... For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with Him in His death, we will also be raised to life as He was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with Him... Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God... Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living."

How I thank my Lord, for giving me new life. Does this mean that I no longer sin and I get everything right all of the time? No, but my desire has changed and for the first time in my life, my chains are broken. I was a slave of death. I was a slave to my own evil desires and for the first time, I now live. I no longer seek that party. I no longer look toward that next high. I am free and live for Christ. It is through Him that I have found the true joy in living. It is not just about dieing and going to heaven to get my reward, but it is about the freedom of living. I am no longer a slave. I am a woman that was sought by God, while I was still a slave to death, and given a chance to truly live. It is not because I am grown and have a good family, but because of the love of Christ. It is not my circumstances that has set me free, but the real faith in the one who gives that freedom. There are many people out there that should feel the joy that I feel, for their circumstances are perfect for it, but they are still the walking dead. They have not found the One that will bring them true joy. There are others that their circumstances say they should be miserable, but they have found the One who truly gives life, and so they live. Are you the walking dead, claiming to live? Or, have you really been set free, so that now you can truly live?

Can We Boast?

As others look at me from the outside, I do not really know what they are seeing. I figure, they may see me and think, "but it comes easy for you. Your change came easier for you than it is for me." I don't know, this is just, maybe, what others think of me now. If they think this, they are wrong. Do you know what my sins were? My life was sin. Everything that I thought was impure. Everything that I did had sin written all over it in some form. Whether it was in the form of chemical addictions, pornography, lies, hate, bitterness, slander, you name it, I lived it. Whether we want to admit it or not, we have all sinned. Even those, who claim they do not believe in God, suffer the consequence of disobeying Him. Romans 2, "Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right." I breathed the consequences of my living, even while I while I was denying the right of God's laws, I was feeling the consequences of disobeying Him. If you ever think that faith just falls in some peoples laps and obeying God comes naturally, you are wrong. But, everyone is given the same opportunity to change their life and open their eyes. It may seem easier for some than for others, but in my case, you have not seen the early mornings that I have spent with God. You have not seen the intense physical struggle that I have had with my own evil desires. You have not felt the many mornings of emptiness that I have gone through, while I was just reading words on a page, waiting for something to change within me. God has given everyone the same opportunity. He did not give me any more of a special gift, than He has given to everyone else.

I spent many years learning who I was, before I could accept the free gift that Christ has given to me. I went through several phases before truly seeing the freedom that He has offered. The first phase was one of realizing, I had done everything wrong. I had to see myself for who I really was, a dead person lost in sin. Then, the next phase was in trying to be good enough, by obeying laws. After I realized the bondage that laws gave me, I knew there had to be something more. Romans 3:21, 22, "But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are." Does this mean that we continue living in sin? No, it means that we learn what true living is all about. If we see our sin, in the truth of our sin, we will not want to continue to live in it. Neither, will we want to leave our sin to earn our salvation. Instead, we will want to leave it, because we have faith In Christ.

Romans 3:23-27, "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when He held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for He was looking ahead and including them in what He would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate His righteousness, for He Himself is fair and just, and He declares sinners to be right in His sight when they believe in Jesus. Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law."

My journey has taken me through many different paths. The path I am most grateful for, is the one I am currently enjoying. My life has changed. It has changed, because I first took the step in faith. I did not understand everything and I had to journey down some wrong roads, even after accepting Christ, but this time I was not walking alone. Every morning I ask Him to reveal His truth to me. Sometimes, I do not think I can hear Him, but with time, I have realized, He was just waiting for me to take my next step in faith. He has given everyone the same opportunity, they just seem to be different. It is the same, for He died for everyone. His blood covers us all. It is a free gift. He is patient in waiting for us to accept it. The only question is, how many consequences will we have to suffer through, before we will grab hold of Him, for He has never let go of you. I have not really changed all that much, for I still sin. What has changed is the fact that I now put my faith in Christ and not myself. My hearts desire is to live my life for Him, instead of seeking the false intimacy and pleasures the world offers. I have found what true living is all about. Have you?

It Feels GOOD!

My journey with God has truly been amazing to me. Most everything that He has revealed to me, has first come from me taking the first step in obedience. I believe that He has something great for me, but He wants me to believe in Him first. That belief is revealed by my stepping out of my comfort zone, and trusting that He will do what He has promised. Oswald Chambers, "How will I know? Matthew 11:25, Jesus answered and said, ’I thank You, Father . . . that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes’ ..."But if we walk in the light," we are cleansed "from all sin" (1 Jn 1:7). It is a matter of obedience, and once we obey, the relationship is instantly perfected...All of God’s revealed truths are sealed until they are opened to us through obedience. You will never open them through philosophy or thinking. But once you obey, a flash of light comes immediately. Let God’s truth work into you by immersing yourself in it, not by worrying into it. The only way you can get to know the truth of God is to stop trying to find out and by being born again. If you obey God in the first thing He shows you, then He instantly opens up the next truth to you..." I love to see how God has always been with me and kept me safe, even when I have been a fool's fool. But, my relationship with Him only grew and developed into life, when I started to obey Him. I had to set aside my fleshly desires, even though I thought I would suffocate from boredom, so that His life could be revealed to me. "Jesus did not come to make bad people good, but to make dead people live." (RZ)

Just the other day I was blessed to be in worship with my Lord, on the back of a horse! A friend, that God has blessed me with, took me on a four hour horse ride. What an awesome day we had, being blessed by God's creation and connecting with one another. I could not imagine a better way to spend the afternoon. What she did not know was that I have been asking God, for some time, to give me a wiser, older woman. I have needed that relationship, for all of a sudden I am surrounded by younger women, looking to me. I needed someone older to help guide my steps, for I have found myself in that age of being the older and younger woman. I am right in the middle, and not knowing all of the answers, I needed God to give me that one special older woman to help me. As we were riding, our conversations took us many times to God. In one of those moments, the verses in the Old Testament that say, "If you.... I will..." were brought up. Over and over, God has told His children, "If you will obey me... I will...." In this, it all boils down to trust. Do I trust Him? Do I really believe Him when He says that His ways are better?

I have turned my back on God so many times, just because I did not trust His moral law. I thought that He was just trying to keep me from enjoying this life. But, what I did not realize was that He was just trying to show me what living really felt like. He wanted me to obey Him, so that I could feel the true joy that He has offered me. This true joy comes from the Cross. It is through the Cross that all of my sins have been forgiven, and the freedom of living is found. My debt has been paid and my past has been erased. It is through the Cross, that my wheezing has stopped and my freedom to breath has begun. I once thought I would die from boredom, but what I have found is the freedom to truly live. He has given me the opportunity to live, I just have to trust Him enough to obey. Through my obedience, in turning from my own sinful desires, I have found what true living feels like. It feels, GOOD!

http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/my-utmost-for-his-highest/10/10/devotion.aspx?year=2009

Tend and Feed and Guide

Acts 20, "Take care and be on guard for yourselves and the whole flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you bishops and guardians, to shepherd (tend and feed and guide) the church of the Lord or of God which He obtained for Himself [buying it and saving it for Himself] with His own blood. I know that after I am gone, ferocious wolves will get in among you, not sparing the flock; Even from among your own selves men will come to the front who, by saying perverse (distorted and corrupt) things, will endeavor to draw away the disciples after them [to their own party]. Therefore be always alert and on your guard..."

As I was reading this, I felt something, something that I did not expect to feel. "Take care and be on guard for yourselves," this practically jumped off of the page at me. "Be on guard for yourself," could this mean that I could turn into the wolf this passage is talking about? I think I could. I could very easily start to think that what I am doing, "I am doing." It could very easily become all about me. "Do you see the people who say that I did ____? It is by my good that others are finding Christ...." Oh, the temptation to think that I am in control and it is really all about me. The pressure that I place upon myself to get my theology right; to say the right things; to have a word for someone, when I think they need a word; lets me know that I think a lot about what I know. I have a tendency to think that I draw people to me, or that they even really need me. I know, I know; If I am going to be teaching anything to anyone, I better be saying what Jesus would say. I better have my theology correct, He has called me to shepherd His flock. The danger lies in the motive of my heart and the "pats on the back" that I desire. Are others really coming to my party, or to His?

"...to shepherd (tend and feed and guide) the church of the Lord or of God which He obtained for Himself [buying it and saving it for Himself] with His own blood." Here is the thing, I need to be concerned that I am guiding others in the right direction. I better be concerned about what I am teaching. But, here is the key, They are His. I am His to use. Others that He brings to me, are His. My words are His. I study and I search, for in reality, I know that I really know nothing. I have to rely on others myself. If I think that I am at the top of the spiritual food chain, I may be a wolf in disguise. For here is the truth, I know no one who thinks "I am the one who is going to destroy everyone and lead them to Hell." It seems to me that most start out with pure motives in heart, but then we forget about Him, while we say we are working for Him. The job gets in the way. We forget that everything we are doing is supposed to point to the Cross. For if we keep our eyes pointing to the Cross, we will be able to keep ourselves out of His light.

Oswald Chambers, "I cannot save and sanctify myself; I cannot make atonement for sin; I cannot redeem the world; I cannot right what is wrong, purify what is impure, or make holy what is unholy. That is all the sovereign work of God. Do I have faith in what Jesus Christ has done? He has made the perfect atonement for sin. Am I in the habit of constantly realizing it? The greatest need we have is not to do things, but to believe things. The redemption of Christ is not an experience, it is the great act of God which He has performed through Christ, and I have to build my faith on it. If I construct my faith on my own experience, I produce the most unscriptural kind of life— an isolated life, with my eyes focused solely on my own holiness. Beware of that human holiness that is not based on the atonement of the Lord."
As we are going out and doing the will of the Lord, we better be on guard for ourself, first. Everything we do, everything I say, I better look at myself first and direct myself first, to Christ on the Cross for me. For if I keep my eyes upon the Cross, then I can better walk toward the Cross, and those who happen to walk behind me will be able to see Him over me.

http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/my-utmost-for-his-highest/10/09/devotion.aspx?year=2009

The Right One. Marriages

Most married couples are together because there was a physical attraction that brought them together in the first place. When most of us start dating, sexual desires are on the top of the dating criteria. With this being the most important facet of our relationships, we never really get to know the other person. We are blinded by our lust, but then the marriage vows are spoken and we realize this is supposed to be forever. The blinders are removed and the hard reality of our decision faces us. We discover that we really have nothing solid to hold on to. We have a tendency to go our separate ways and develop our own goals in this life, that have nothing to do with our spouse. Then we are either astounded, or anticipate it when the marriage vows are broken. Our society does not expect to find that right person, for we have forgotten what makes a person "the right one" to begin with.

In Acts 19, the first introduction of Aquila and Priscilla are made. There is not a ton of information about them, but what is obvious, is that they are never mentioned alone. They are always together. They have common goals and they know how to work together as a team. They have fostered an environment in their home that allows their individual strengths to grow. Their home is a place where others come and find refuge and a security, they may not find if they had chosen to stay somewhere else. Their hearts for God, that is what they truly had in common. They worked together in business, but the key is they worked together for God.

I have been married two times, for two very different reasons. My first marriage, was what I will call, typical. I say this because we were typical. We were young and based our entire relationship on our passions. Our sexual relationship had no boundaries and we were only together for our next rush. We had a blast together. The parties, the bars, the sexual pleasures, they were our play ground. But, after the marriage vows were spoken, the blinders were removed. The only thing we had to hold on to was the next high, and that just about destroyed us both. You cannot base a relationship on partying, for after the party there is life looking you right in the eyes.

My next relationship was different. I truly felt God had put Jason in my life. I did not however, like this fact. There was nothing wrong with Jason, trust me, I tried to find that one. He just was not my "type." But I had told God that I would walk through whatever door He opened, and Jason was that next door. I had made many bad decisions on my own. I knew I could not trust myself. So we got married, for God never closed that door no matter how I begged Him. We were both still learning and we made many mistakes, but our common goal was the same. We both really wanted to do what God wanted us to do. Other than that, we really had nothing else in common. Our likes, our interests, our past experiences were completely different. Honestly, we had nothing in common, except our desire to please God! This is all it takes. I truly believe we have an Aquila and Priscilla house. God is the common interest, and our love for Him has made our marriage a place of refuge. It is not about the party. It is all about life!

The heart aches I could have avoided, if I had just learned earlier in my young life, what is really valuable. It is not about the next party. It is not about the next rush or the next date. It is about life. What kind of life are you building? What you do while you are young, you will have to some day face. You can only live with the blinders on for so long. One day you will have to take them off and look truthfully at what you have done with your life. One day you will reap what you have sown. No one can avoid it and run forever. So if you are dating, are you developing the character and experiences you desire in a marriage? If you are married, are you searching for something that will make your marriage a good one? There is only one thing you need. And that one thing is God. If you can discover who Christ is, and live as a true Christ follower, that is all you will ever need. How would Christ treat that person? What would He do in this situation? Discover that, and you will discover the key to a truly wonderful life.