ARTICLES

Priorities Of A Single Person - Part 2
by Goke and Jummy Adelabu
Last month we began our series on the "Priorities of a Single Person." We discussed priority "S" - Separate yourself unto the Lord" and "I" - Implement God's Instructions. Let's continue.

N -NEVER ALLOW FEAR OR DOUBT TO CONTROL YOU.

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (II Timothy 1:7). Don't rush into courtship or marriage out of fear or insecurity. The following are some wrong reasons to enter into a relationship:

Age: - You are not old you are young! Your youth is renewed like the eagles and if you've only been saved for two years then you are only "two years old" in the Lord; so, what is a babe doing, concerned about marriage! See yourself the way God sees you. Abraham was 100 and his wife was 90 years old; but, that was not too old for the Lord to work through them.

Peer/parental pressure; - Don't become desperate! The Bible says he that believeth does not make haste. When you are desperate, you end up making rash decisions. Even if this is the first girl that smiled back at you in 5 years, don't make up your mind to marry her straight away just because you are not sure another lady will do the same before your 50th birthday. "Don't come under the power of your need, the devil wants to get you out of control by tempting you with the things under your control!" That's why we have so many single parents, teenage pregnancies, etc. The same thing happened to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, they were in control of the Garden of Eden; but, the devil got them out of control by tempting them with the fruit. That was only one of the many things in the whole garden they were in charge of. Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed the Master, was the treasurer of the ministry of the Lord Jesus when he was tempted by thirty pieces of silver. This is the man who held the bag with the money in it. Why was it the same thing he was in control of that the devil used to destroy him? The devil does that; he attacks in ways that keep people humiliated and onlookers expressionless. Submit yourself to the Lord, resist the devil, in the form of desperation, and he shall flee from you.

G -GLORIFY THE LORD IN YOUR BODY.

We glorify the Lord in our body by presenting it to the Lord through the renewal of our mind. "... Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1). Our obedience to the Word of the Lord is our service to the Lord. The Word of God says that our bodies belong to the Lord anyway, according to I Corinthians 6:19-20, "...your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost...(we) are bought with a price [the blood of Jesus]: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." When you present your body to the Lord by renewing your mind, you will be able to prove what is God's will. Romans 12:2 says that a transformation comes when we renew our minds, that transformation is the glory of the Lord that will come upon us.

L -LIVE A LIFE OF LOVE.

Our God is a God of love. Love is His nature, all He does is motivated by love. "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God" (I John 4:7). From studying the qualities of love in I Corinthians 13, the Lord showed us how interwoven they are and how progressive they become. One step leads right into the other. If you are not patient, you will not be very kind because through your impatience you may do something unkind. If someone speaks to you in a manner that is offensive to you, if you are not patient and long-suffering you may snap at the next well meaning person that comes your way. In the same manner, if you do not envy others, you will not parade yourself. Parading one's self occurs as a result of envy. Just because your friends or neighbor bought a new car, you don't know whether the car is fully paid for, you just assume it's on finance and you go ahead and buy yourself a similar car on finance just to parade yourself in pride; unfortunately, you cannot afford to make the necessary repayments. Our acts and deeds must be motivated by love, our love for the Lord, that is what will keep all that we do in line with the will of God.

E -EXERCISE PATIENCE AND EXPECT YOUR MIRACLE.

Exercising patience is very important in the life of a believer; for, the trial of our faith teaches us to be patient because if you truly believe the Word of God works then you will hold on till you see the physical manifestation of your heart's desire. It was only after Abraham patiently endured that he obtained the promise (Hebrews 6:15); and, that is why he is known as the father of faith, because he exercised patience, expected his miracle and received it. The expectation of the righteous man shall not be cut off, you will receive what you expect from the Lord so start expecting, start believing, confessing and receiving what you are expecting from the Lord.

In closing, as single people we need to draw closer to the Lord and build our lives and homes upon the foundation of His Word in preparation for courtship and marriage as Jesus said, those who hear his sayings and do them are like wise men who built their house upon the rock; when the winds and the storms came the house stood firm because it was built upon the Rock of Ages, the strong foundation called the Word of God. When you do start courting and get married, your relationship will last and remain strong in the midst of the storms that come against it. Your relationship will be unique, it will survive the storm and help others build upon the same rock, THE WORD OF THE LORD. Therefore single person, separate yourself unto the Lord, implement God's instructions, never allow fear or doubt to control you, glorify the Lord in your body, live a life of love, and exercise patience and expect your miracle! Those are your GOD GIVEN PRIORITIES, stick to them! May the Spirit of the Lord guide you in Jesus name. Amen.



Goke and Jummy Adelabu are anointed to preach God's Word and teach God's plan for relationships and marriage. They are the founders of Married Couples International Network ("MCIN"), and International Family Health Ministry.

For ministry materials and information or to schedule a meeting in your area, write to Married Couples International Network, P.O. Box 4516, London, England, SW9 7XF.


                                               
                                     

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