Just wanted to pass off some words of wisdom -- or so I truly believe they are.
My brother and I have been talking about relationships -- those which might result in marriage -- because he has become rather close to a young woman in his life. Why he would ask me (the single lady) for advice, I have no idea!
He holds this young lady so close to his heart and was asking me how to spend time with her, grow with her, love her, all at the right timing and capacity -- definitely a tough balance! Especially since he is still asking God for wisdom on whether or not He would be calling him to pursue her. All I could think to tell him was to love her as purely as Christ loves her, and he responded by saying this:
I want to treat her less like gold and more like Christ does!
I think there is a lot of truth in that!
When you love a person like Christ loves them, you are loving them out of a sacrificial, passionate heart whose ambition is to seek out their good, their spiritual/emotional health, their growth! On the other hand, turn a woman (or man) into gold in your eyes and you put them on a pedestal, idolize them, and risk love turning into lust. They become nothing more than a gilded image in your eyes that you fear you might shatter, or lose! If you truly love a person, you will surrender them into the Father's will and ask Him how He might love that person. Often that means incredible self-control, humility, and patience. Surrender. That is certainly not easy.
But out of such, the purest relationships can result -- or so I imagine and hope!
Just thought I would share, and I truly hope it is sound. Blessings!
dang... now that is a valuable lesson. I struggle with this so much and I truly believe that is why God has kept me from having a relationship. He cares about me so much that he doesn't want me to idolize a woman and lose focus on Him, the only one worthy of praise.
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