Relationships (2)

Adam lived in a perfect neighbourhood and had a perfect job – one God gave him. It doesn’t get much better than that. Nevertheless, he was lonely; something was missing from his life. The Bible says, ‘But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God…made a woman’ (Genesis 2:20-22 NIV). God recognised Adam’s need for companionship, and He met that need. However, this is where some of us, acting on loneliness, frustration, or bad advice, rush ahead of God. There’s a reason one of the nine gifts of the Spirit listed in the Bible is ‘the ability to distinguish between spirits’ (see 1 Corinthians 12:10). When someone comes into your life, they don’t just bring their looks, talents, and financial assets; they also bring their spirit. If you’ve ever been around someone with a controlling, vindictive, resentful, or negative spirit, you know why this particular gift is so important. So make yourself a hard jury, one that’s not easily convinced and requires concrete evidence before reaching a verdict. And remember that it’s better to lengthen the deliberation process and ensure your decision is right than to reach a hasty conclusion and end up with a broken heart. You may not feel wise and experienced when making such decisions, but hear this: it’s not how much you know that arms you with the tools of great decision making, but how much you ask. The first person to ask is God; the time to do it is before, not after, you get into a relationship.

Prayer Point

Lord, I long for company, but I’m also worried about being hurt by letting the wrong people into my life. So today, I ask for Your wisdom in discerning who are the right people for me. Grant me the patience to wait for Your prompting regarding a new relationship. I know that You want the best for me – help me to trust Your judgment above my own.

Jakes, T. D., Before You Do (New York: Atria Books, 2008), 25-27.