CLEAN UP (Part 4)… Pursue Love & Peace
As a single lady or gentleman who truly desires to be used by God as an instrument to draw others to Him and to build a quality home, certain things cannot just remain a part of you. As I have stressed since Day 1 of this series, as an individual, you matter in the building of your marriage and family.
The grace of God is already available, what you do with it, determines your experience. We have looked at two of the four vital points that as a Christian, you must never stop chasing after as seen in 2 Timothy 2:22 (See Days 4-6). Let’s take a look at the final two.
Love: You know this: God is love (1 John 4:8)! The more we pursue God; love has no choice but to become our identity. The Bible tells us that it’s actually the most important requirement because nothing can work, not even faith, without it (Galatians 5:6). In this day and age, love is interpreted in so many ways that many singles have such a warped definition of it.
I have come to learn that love is simply all about demonstrating God’s nature to another person. I don’t really know any other way to define it. In 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, we see everything that love is. It’s so much deeper than human love. Human love has it’s limits; to love like God demands much from us because there would be times you really don’t feel like loving that’s why, again, the empowerment of the Holy Spirit is required. It is that empowerment that helps us to love each other deeply (1 Peter 4:8).
As a single, now is the time to work hard on allowing this kind of love to find expression in your heart because trust me, the love you claim to have for your potential spouse, will be tested in so many ways in marriage. Don’t wait until you are in a relationship; do it with those around you. Pursue love and you’ll be a distributor of love! Cultivate the God kind of love in you now. We will look at this kind of love as we go along.
Peace: Oh yes! This is one of my favourite points. Peace! We can never achieve anything without peace. The Bible tells us to pursue peace with all men (Hebrews 12:14) and Romans 12:18 also tells us that as much as it depends on us, we must strive to live at peace with everyone. I often like to use this phrase – Be a man or woman of peace! Simple! Don’t take pride in being a troublemaker or a concern to those around you.
There are so many people that are men or women of war; they are never at peace when there is peace. There is always something wrong; even when all is well, they look for what can be used to cause contention or strife. If you are like that; caution! It is not a good trait and you should not be proud of it. When I have met some single ladies or gentlemen who are troublesome, I don’t need to be told any other reason as to why they are not in a relationship leading towards marriage. NOBODY wants a contentious partner. That's why you find that a husband does not like being around his wife or vice versa because he or she knows they should be prepared to contend in a battle when they are together. Don’t misunderstand me; it doesn’t mean issues should not be discussed; however there is always a right way to handle issues while still promoting peace; that is wisdom!
In fact the bible says that it is hatred that stirs up strife (Proverbs 10:12). It is a hateful person that enjoys war. Pursue peace. Pursue peace. And pursue peace. Jesus is the Prince of peace; if you are really chasing after Him, it must reflect. If it is not reflecting in you, please check yourself.
I always tell singles that when you are praying for a life partner, on the top of your list should be “Lord send me a man/woman of peace”, and “Lord make me a man or woman of peace”. One of the things that drew me and keeps me glued to my husband is because he is a man of peace; in fact he is immune to drama and that enhances my own peace of mind. And his peaceful nature has rubbed off on me! Don't carry on in a relationship with anyone who enjoys fighting and arguing; contrary to popular belief, it is not normal. We’ll discuss this on another day. The point here is that no matter what, in life and in marriage, if there is no peace, there is nothing. So we must pursue it with everything in us
Check yourself! Are you a peaceful & loving person? You know yourself. Be humble enough to admit it and let the Holy Spirit help you become better. Even if you are indeed peacecul and loving; there can never be too much of either so remain empowered to keep demonstrating both traits to those around you, and carry it into your marriage when the time comes!
source; cpy family
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