5 CHOICES FOR EVERY SINGLE

Choose to wait for the best. The truth is that the very things we are in a hurry to get without God are actually without God. If you choose to go with an unbeliever because you feel time is passing you by or because your folks are mounting pressure on you, then be ready to have satan as your father-in-law and several demons and evils as your regular visitors!

Choose rather to wait for someone who is compatible with your vision, choose the content above the container ( the container can improve with time),choose mindset above closet, choose virtues instead of machos, choose a believer above an unbeliever.

Choose to court in a godly way. You know what this means. No sampling before request. No sex before marriage. Someone once mentioned that her fiancé suggested they have sex on the phone. My suggestion is NO. You see you are only setting yourself up for the real act and you don’t want to soil your testimony before the host of heaven, do you?

Choose to keep developing yourself.  Singleness is a phase in life that will surely come to an end at some time ( that is if God  does not require you to remain unmarried). For some people, this phase extends for long and they end up getting married in their 30s. Some people spend this time developing their looks and wardrobe only. Whilst this is OK, it would be far better to keep developing every aspect of our lives (remember Jesus grew spiritually, physically and socially).We should read books,listen to tapes, attend seminars, conferences,workshops and trainings to improve our spirit, soul, body and even our careers. Never give room for any excuse(s). Don’t complain about lack of money and time, create one for yourself. Set goals for yourself and develop concrete plans of action. Get excited about life and learn to make yourself happy, don’t wait for any situation or person to steal your joy.

One of the greatest assets we can improve is our inner person. This includes virtues such as: character, love, wisdom, understanding, contentment, a meek and quiet spirit (actually the bible says this is of great value before God) and any other virtue worth developing.

Choose to add value. A friend sent me a text and it reads: some people walk in and out of your life but only real friends leave footprints in your heart… another text reads: some people are worth dumping but some are to be dumped in a treasure box and kept forever. Which would you rather be? How would you want to be remembered after you depart this world? We will only be remembered for the things we do.

Decide to impact lives everywhere you find yourself. Decide to break the status-quo and stand up for a worthy cause. Look for something good in your family, community, church and plant yourself into it.

In order to effectively add value to others around you, you need to sustain your relationship with God. We are saved and called for a purpose higher than marriage( though marriage is part of the package).the most important reason is that we might be with God in fellowship. When we allow our desires to get married overwhelm us then we can’t relate well with God and others around us and the end is that we can’t add value because we have suddenly become selfish in our motives.

Choose to make heaven at all cost. But really, shouldn’t this be our ultimate aim? Sometimes we become so comfortable in this world that we even forget that the greatest  promise is that of eternal life, not in this present world but in a new earth because this present earth will be totally destroyed. So, if Jesus comes while you are still single are you sure you’ll make it?

MEMORIES OF CHRISTMAS

-->

I just finished watching the Christmas episode of Turning Point, a Christian programme courtesy of CBN. One of the presenters was asked the most memorable Christmas gift she had ever received and she answered that she rather had wonderful memories, instead of gifts. According to her, those memories are the best gifts she has ever had.

 I also watched (not till the end) a movie yesterday titled How Mr. Grinch Stole Christmas.  Mr. Grinch, according to the story, lives somewhere aground and he only comes out yearly- at Christmas. He hates Christmas with a passion and whenever it is Christmas eve, he suddenly remembers an unpleasant event in the past and this brings out the worst in him. He would go about destroying things as well as stealing Christmas gifts belonging to other people…

You see, Mr. Grinch’s aim was to steal Christmas (joy and peace) from the wonderful people of Whosville (that’s where he grew). He felt they never loved him (he looked like a monster!), but the truth is there were some people who thought he was wonderful, despite his looks. But he had grown so bitter against them that even when they wanted to present him with an award, he spoilt the whole occasion.

Memories, yes, we all have them. Some are good, some are not; some are beautiful, while others are very ugly and dirty we would rather not  go near them in our minds.

 Surely you’ll agree with me that Christmas ought to evoke colorful and beautiful memories such as: visits to Santa Claus, Christmas trees, laughter, family reunion, friends reunion, colorful atmosphere, change in weather, and so forth.

But for some people, Christmas is a season that would rather not come in the year. Imagine someone who lost his wife and children on a Christmas morning in an auto crash, or someone who lost his business on a cold Christmas morning to fire or another who lost a dear friend while swimming, or (perhaps you can relate with this), just days to Christmas your fiancé suddenly calls to inform you that your engagement’s been cancelled.

 Believe me, to all the above people, subsequent Christmases would not be the same again either positively or negatively. Some have recovered from the initial shock and still face subsequent Christmases with hope, while some are yet to recover.  Just like Mr. Grinch, when it’s Christmas, this latter group suddenly remembers when that sad event(s) occurred and start organizing pity parties. To them the colorful and beautiful sites around town plus the joy in the air mean little or nothing.  They sometimes join in singing the Christmas carols, but within, they are completely detached from the essence of the season. They are hurting and unknown to them, they make others around them hurt. Like snails, they recoil into the shell of the past and wish that Christmas would suddenly come to an end or never come again. This to them is the best Christmas gift they could ever get.

How about you? Do you have any painful, ugly memories whenever it’s Christmas? Have you ever suffered any loss just hours, days, weeks or even months before Christmas? As an unmarried person, if last year you were in a steady relationship and somehow this Christmas you are suddenly dateless, how do you feel?  You mean you never thought, even if for just a sec, about those beautiful times you had with your ex last Christmas? When those memories came, how did you feel?

The truth is that Christmas symbolizes joy. Consider what scriptures say, that there was joy in heaven that night Jesus was born and the angel declared glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to all men( Luke 2:14). Wow, that’s a message of hope for someone! God deliberately planned this season for YOU in mind. HE knew you’d encounter such negative events in your life and he went ahead of you to plan the solution so that when you eventually encounter the situation you’d jump over it and laugh longest.

When Jesus came into this world, it was to bring hope and comfort to a rather hurting world. It was to set the captives (of painful pasts) free and heal the broken hearted, it was to bring sunshine back into your life, so why then would you settle for anything less than the best God planned for you? Have you forgotten that God’s plans and thoughts concerning you are GOOD ALWAYS?

After Mr. Grinch had destroyed all the Christmas decorations and gifts at whosville,(remember he wanted to steal their Christmas) I observed that the people were not happy at first, but they still continued with their joy and merry making. They still went ahead to celebrate the Christmas they had earlier planned. His negative manners just didn’t stop them!

This is the attitude I believe God expects us to portray at all times. We mustn’t allow any memories of our painful pasts around Christmas stop us from celebrating this beautiful season of the year with our loved ones. True, it may seem difficult to forgive or forget, but why not open your heart, reach for heaven and receive  first the gift( of love, new beginning, joy, peace) your heavenly father is giving you right now. You can’t give what you don’t have you know. Take a step forward and begin anew, fill your memory bank with new ones.

If you’d like to give your life to Christ, please say this prayer:

Lord Jesus, I come to you just as I am. I confess my sins and ask that you forgive me and wash me in your blood. Be my lord and savior and give me the grace to obey you always. Thank you for saving me.

It’s a new dawn for you!  Welcome to the beginning of new things!

MERRY CHRISTMAS