Armed and Virtuous SETX Abstinence Ministry “Embracing the Single Life” Part 2

Southeast Texas Abstinence Resources – Armed and Virtuous

Embracing the Single Life Part 2

Today is part two of a special series from Southeast Texas abstinence ministry “Armed and Virtuous”.

Last week we introduced the idea of finding satisfaction in being single; needing no one else but God to feel complete. It’s not the way of the world, but, as you may have noticed, people who do things the world’s way don’t seem to be finding true happiness either. I challenge you to make the most of going “solo,” and this week we’ll discuss what I consider to be step one: Falling head over heels in love with Jesus, and finding purpose in your relationship with Him.

How do you fall in love with someone? By spending time together. So, channel the energy you would be spending on a guy toward Christ instead. Take an honest look at your personal walk with God. How often do you read the Bible? Do you only crack the book on Sundays? Do you read it only on occasion, when the going gets tough? Do you read daily, but just to check the obligation off your list? If so, it’s time to dig deeper! Start by getting completely honest with Him in prayer. Tell God that you want to know Him better, and desire to develop a love for His word. I guarantee you, He’ll answer that kind of prayer! Find a version of the Bible that is most comfortable for you and start reading. As you get into the word, you will begin learning about the heart of God. You will see His truths come alive in your life, and you will crave more. This is what David meant in Psalm 42:1 when He said As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.

Pray with complete honesty and sincerity. God is not impressed with big words or with hitting the “right” topics. He already knows your heart, so pray from your heart. Tell Him exactly how you feel, be open about where you are weak, and ask Him to give you strength. As you press deeper into your prayer life, this too will become more personal and exciting. He will begin to lay burdens on your heart for other people. He will lead you in how to pray, and you will see God work through your prayers. As this happens, your love for Him will increase, and your desire to read His word and pray will only grow stronger.

Worship your way! If you don’t know what “your way” is, then find out. What styles of music appeal to you? There are Christian bands out there for every possible style of music, so find what interests you, and get plugged in. Worship in song, or if you play an instrument, worship through that instrument. Don’t worry about how well you sing, instead, place your focus on God and declare through your worship how much you love and need Him. Worship through your lifestyle, by striving to do your best work at every opportunity, and seeking to please your Lord in every area of life.

Finally, ask God to give you His work to do . . . now! This doesn’t necessarily mean surrendering to “the ministry,” but seeking to do work on behalf of your Lord right where you live and work. You can be a minister for Christ even as a young person. People your age need to know the love of Christ just as much as anyone else, and who better to lead them than you? This might sound a little unnerving, but as you fall in love with Jesus, this will be a natural next step in your walk with Him. You will develop His heart for those around you, feel compassion for them and desire to help meet their needs. God will give you, step-by-step, everything you need to accomplish such a task. Most of the time, this will not involve standing on a pedestal and preaching, but praying for a person, living your life as an example of God’s love, and being willing, when the time comes, to share your faith. As you obey, you will find the rewards so exciting that you’ll want to keep going. Every time you surrender to His leading, your faith will grow, your love for Jesus will grow, and the sense of purpose you receive will outshine your previous feelings of inadequacy.

We all worship something, the question is, who or what will you worship? Another flawed human being, the quest for social acceptance, or your Creator and Savior? By making Christ your first love, you place all other areas of life into the proper perspective, including the desire to date and possibly marry. God will honor such a decision and will lead you in the best path as you commit yourself to Him.

Do you have any ideas for growing in your walk with Christ? If so, please share! Leave us a comment and join in the discussion.

My name is April M. Anderson, and I’m just a girl with a story. God laid a burden on my heart to pray for my husband when I was in the sixth grade. I prayed and waited for him for six years, dated him for three, and we’ve been married for 15 years. By God’s grace, both my husband and I were virgins on our wedding day and we’ve been living out our “happily ever after” from that day on!

Armed and Virtous Abstinence Ministry encourages young Southeast Texas women to save themselves for the husbands God is preparing for them.

At SETX Church Guide, we understand that talking with our children about abstinence is hard.

We’re parents too.

We do hope that these messages from Southeast Texas abstinence ministry Armed and Virtuous will help you have a conversation with your child- messages from you go a long way – and last a long time.

Best wishes from all of us at SETX Church Guide – and we send our thanks to Armed and Virtuous for this important guidance.