You Don't Need a Man to Push the "Play Button" for Your Life to Begin! Guest article by Sheri Rose Shepherd
Disclaimer: though I did a bit of research on Mrs. Shepherd, I leave it up to the blog reader to do his or her own digging on this author and to come to one's own conclusion. Nothing that I have found has been of any concern. And this piece is worth the reading, enjoy!
An Article for Singles
By Sheri Rose Shepherd, Bestselling Author and Bible Life Coach
I have been married twenty-five years, and my husband and I
joke that it has been seven of the best years of our lives. Why is it that we
spend so much time searching for someone to share life with, and so many times
the dream of wanting and wondering becomes better than the reality of the man
or the marriage?
I believe when a man walks down the aisle and says "I
do," his every hope and intention is that his marriage will be for life.
He sincerely desires to understand and take care of the beloved bride he has
chosen. He romanced her and worked hard to express his love so she would want
to spend the rest of her life with him. He was determined to be her hero and
lovingly lead her safely through life. The challenge for a man begins after he
makes his wedding vows because, generally, no one has taught him how to
accomplish his God-appointed position in a woman's life.
Eventually, a man's attempts at love, leadership, and even
heroism may miss their mark, and his beloved bride gradually withdraws
emotionally from the very one she hoped would give her happily ever after.
Sadly, she often closes up her spirit in order to protect her heart from any
more hurt.
The man she longs for ends up feeling frustrated and angry,
and he may give up trying. Their love story, which once fostered hopes of
intimacy, happiness, and growing old together, withers into isolation, pain,
and despair or divorce. I don't believe our desire to find a good man is wrong,
and we do have every reason to be cautious. Even in the church it seems that
just about every day we hear about another man of faith who has fallen away
from his wife, his family, and his moral convictions. Single women tell me
about the heartache they experience after years of dating men who seem
unwilling to commit.
If you are single, I would love to share with you a
"love checklist" to help you avoid pouring your heart into the wrong
relationship. I have discovered it is better to be single and satisfied than
heartbroken in the wrong relationship. If you are willing to open your heart to
some motherly wisdom, please read on
. . .
The Love List . . .
Look at the way a man loves his mother because it is the way
he will eventually love his wife.
Pay attention to the way he reacts when there is stress or
conflict.
Meet his friends and keep in mind that the people he hangs
with are a reflection of his heart.
Pay attention to what your good friends see in him, because
often those who love you can see better than you can see when you're falling in
love.
Look at what he reads and what he watches on television,
because they will be a reflection of his moral fiber.
Do your best not to be too physical, because it will cloud
your vision and confuse your heart.
It is imperative that a man respect your boundaries without
challenging them.
Ask him to pray for you often, because you will need a man
who knows how to cover you in prayer.
Ask yourself whether you feel at home when you’re with him
or whether you act like someone you're not to get him to like you.
Before you say "I do," go through premarital
counseling with a pastor.
Let's pray for your future husband. . . .
Dear Lord,
I pray for my future husband, wherever he is in the world
right now. Prepare me to become the kind of bride he will need when we come
together. Until You make me ready for him, let the only intimate relationship I
seek be with You. Blind my eyes from wanting any other man than the one You
have for me. Remove all men in my life who may keep me from recognizing him.
Give me wisdom to seek what is pure and right in Your sight while I wait for
him. Put such a deep passion in my heart for my purpose that I won't be
distracted or discouraged from pursuing all that You have for me. Deliver me
from the traps of the enemy, and train me now to resist temptation. Keep me
from falling into a counterfeit relationship, and give me the strength not to
settle for second best. Give me the stamina to run this "singles"
race until I cross the finish line and receive his heart—and Your blessing—as
the prize. Amen.
For more teaching from the Your Heart's Desire book and
Bible study, visit www.biblelifecoaching.com.
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