Hebrews

Singleness and Self Discipline

Standard

The self control you exhibit in your life as a single person will directly impact your ability to exhibit self control within your marriage someday.

Remaining faithful in marriage requires restraint, control, intention. If we live frivolously before marriage then the shift to faithfulness and monogamy will be a sharp transition.

Those who remain faithful to their spouses for life do so not because of love, but because of commitment. They choose to stay devoted. Choose to honor each other, in word and deed…and body. And oh, how sweet, is a marriage built on honor and trust and commitment (those, I hear, have the best sex!). 

So now, in my own life, I choose to honor my husband with my body BEFORE I have even met him. I do not sleep around. I don’t even mess around. Not because I am not tempted and do not have my own desires. But because I want to tell him, someday, that I chose a life of faithfulness to him over the fleeting pleasures offered today. And when I meet him, I pray God gives me the strength to honor him with my body while we date. And will sustain that grace to honor him with my body the rest of my life in marriage.

I see my time of singleness, right now, as my training ground. I am disciplining my flesh for marriage. Think of it this way…if you are 25 when you marry you have had about 10 years of “practice” and behavioral habits that you take into your marriage. What are you going to use that time for? Is there something you are doing in your life right now that you KNOW is a bad habit that you cannot take into marriage? Why not work to discipline yourself now, before marriage. Choose to be honoring to your future marriage…today.

Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13.3-5, quoting Deuteronomy 31.6

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. Numbers 6.24-26 (Aaronic blessing)

Check out Sacred Search by Gary Thomas (which prompted the thoughts above. Gary shares it in a much more witty and straightforward way than I previously experienced. I recommend his book. If you are already married, and a woman, check out Sacred Influence.)

imaginitive prayers birthed in praise

Standard

After a fantastic weekend of prayer and worship, my heart was in great anticipation of the morning service at church. And sure enough, my spirit was eager to enter into the Lord’s presence and praise him evermore! Here is a fun picture and prayer I received during worship time:

We pour honor onto your feet, our Mighty King. Let our praise be like a fragrant oil poured out upon your feet as we acknowledge that you are King. Let our praise be poured out as honor to you, King, most beautiful King.

My imagination celebrated the picture, seeing our praises rising up and thickening like oil, a fragrant offering in recognition of WHO God is and how worthy He is to receive our praises and seeing that oil be used to anoint His feet, in honor, it was a beautiful experience. (and remembering the passage in Luke 7:36-50 where the woman who lived a sinful life anointed Jesus feet with expensive perfume. This passage is ultimately on forgiveness … when forgiven a debt, who values the forgiveness more? the one who had the biggest debt! and guess what was the theme of the sermon that followed!?! Forgiveness!!! Oh how the Lord was preparing the hearts of the people to receive. If only we could all understand the unpayable debt we owe and how much we have been forgiven, that we might more fully understand the depth of LOVE that has been poured out, that we might in turn offer that same love back to the Lord, as a fragrant offering….aha! see the full circle!!! its so good.)

But, alas, the Lord has a bit more. So, back to the picture, I’m seeing the people in church, offering praises as a fragrant oil and imagining us bowed down, pouring this oil on the feet of the King. And guess what His response is? Here is the second prayer I received:

As we bow low, Father, humbling ourselves to you, we are bowed down before you. Will you bend low to meet with us, bend low, Father, so that we may look into your eyes? Smiling. Honored. We bow low together.

Ah, how sweeter the picture became. I see us, bowed down, honoring the Father, the worthy King, and He just stands up, walks over to me, and gets down on His knees next to me and looks over at me with this cheesy grin on his face. Almost like, “hey, whatcha doing?” hahahaha. He is just a goofy wonderful King. What started as pouring honor out became an exchange of honor. He, out of love and adoration, joined me on the floor and let me look into His eyes and feel His presence. And smiled at me.

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4.16