Dear Reader,
Welcome to another wonderful time in studying God’s Word. This article is addressed to singles who desire to be married and are already facing family and other kinds of pressure. So, this week, I will be examining Dealing with Pressure while Waiting.
As a man or woman who has passed the conventional age for marriage, many families and most people in this society see this as a shame, irrespective of whatever reasons the person gives for being in that state. Family members may be mounting pressure, and some parents see their grown-up daughters as burdens, so in trying to shift her responsibility, they put pressure on her to marry. Pressure can also come when other colleagues and childhood friends or even younger ones are getting married.
It is important to clearly state that God is interested in marriage because He instituted it. The Bible calls marriage a good thing. As it is written: And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him (Genesis 2:18; see also Proverbs 18:22). Therefore, for anyone who is desiring marriage, see what the Scripture says: …no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11). He has promised not to withhold any good thing from you, and marriage is one of them. So, as a man, be rest assured that God has made an help meet for you; as a woman, you are a particular man’s help meet. Therefore, rejoice and ask yourself what step you need to take as you prepare for your glorious marriage. Understand that if you wait without taking steps, you will waste.
Therefore, you must:
Locate your purpose for living. As someone rightly said, “You were created for a purpose; even if you were conceived by mistake, you are not an accident.” The purpose for living and to fulfil destiny is the first thing that must be located and pursued with all vigour in life. Don’t allow the desire to get married rob you of your purpose. Understand that all of life is fulfilling a purpose, and a life without purpose is mere existence, full of frustration. Locate your purpose and start living it; pursue it with all zeal and zest because you are created for a purpose (Jeremiah 1:5). Invest in yourself, be the best you can be and enhance your worth, and you will be relevant, not only to your world but also to your future partner. Here is what the Word of God says is the purpose for living: And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul… (Deuteronomy 10:12). According to this scripture, to have a fulfilled life, the first thing required is to:
Fear God. To fear God means to have reverence and respect for God. When you reference God, you will have regard for Him and His Word by walking in all His ways. When He commands you to wait, you don’t get impatient and move to do what you like to do. Pacing through His Word is walking in His ways for His Word is His ways.
Love God. Loving God is not by singing, “I Love you Lord.” The proof of your love for God is to love what He loves. God loves the souls of men. The Scripture says: The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). God so loved us that He gave His Son Jesus (John 3:16). To reciprocate His love, you must be passionate about going after souls to see to their salvation. Loving God connotes obeying Him. As it is written: He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him (John 14:21), and His commandment is And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15).
Serve God. When your love is in place for God, you willingly serve Him with your being. You cannot genuinely serve somebody you don’t love. God does not only require you to fear, love and walk with Him; He also wants you to serve Him with your heart, resources and time. Serving God provokes His blessings on you. Nobody ever serves God at a loss. As pressure is being mounted on you by the family members, continue to serve God and watch how He rewards and decorates your life. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58).
However, dealing with the pressures, finding your purpose and fulfilling the same requires you to accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. So, if you are not born again, please say this prayer of faith: Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner, and I cannot help myself. Forgive me of my sins and cleanse me with Your Precious Blood. Deliver me from sin and satan to serve the Living God. From today, Lord Jesus, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now, I am Born Again.
Congratulations! You are now born again and a child of God. He loves you and will never leave or forsake you. With this, you are guaranteed all-round rest and peace, in Jesus’ name! Please write or call to share your testimonies with me through oyedepofaitha@gmail.com OR 08141320204 and 07026385437.
For more insight, these books, authored by me, are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian Bookstores: Singles With A Difference, Make Your Life Count, Overcoming Anxiety, the Dignity of A Believer,and The Spirit of Faith.
