Hey, y'all!!! Man, I am so excited about this one! Have you been waiting all week for this? I know I have! I have my notes on the points I want to make, just to keep me on track, but the rest come to mind just as I am typing away.
I hope your week has been going absolutely FANTASTIC! Quarantine has been quite refreshing to me. I get to hang with my family, more time to get more things done, and definitely taking this time to get some reading done! So, I hope you are using this time to the fullest and seeing the beauty in it!
If you haven't read the first part of this little mini-series, then click here!
Alright so lets jump in!
Ok, so I should probably start this by telling you what verse I am doing this time.
So, drum roll, please!!!
(Imagine a super awesome drum roll)
The verse I picked is, 2 Timothy 2:22:
"So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart."
Man, I can't wait to start breaking this down!!
Flee youthful passions:
Ok, there are two main points I want to make about this statement.
1. Ladies, I definitely know what it's like to walk in somewhere and see a cute guy or meet a cute guy. I can sometimes start to lose my head, so I made sort of a list of important things that I do before I let my little "crush" go any farther.
◾ I do a little thing called "covering his face". Which isn't a very creative name, because that is literally what I do. When I like a guy I kind of cover his face up in my mind, so I can really focus on other things about him. Like, how does he treat others? Is he respectful when he is talking to me or any other girls? Is he polite and respectful to his elders? Does he keep his word? Like my dad always says, "A man is only as good as his word." So watch how he acts. I know how hard it can be sometimes, but trust me this method really helps. TRUST ME! It has helped me get over a couple of guys that I liked, but then realized he wasn‘t really for me. So, girl, cover his face!
â—¾ Another one, which I am sure you have heard before, I talk to my parents about him, Get their opinion of the guy. Our parents are a lot wiser than us, and have been around a little longer than us so they can read people better than us, and their emotions are mixed in there, so they will give you a more honest opinion. When I go to my mom, we normally joke around some, but we always end up having a really good meaningful conversation, and my mom isn't one to sugar coat things, so I know I am going to get her honest opinion. I talk to my dad, and my dad definitely does not go easy on the guys, and besides his perspective will be different than my mom's. I want my family involved in this because I know they want the best for me.
â—¾ And of course, pray about it! He will open your eyes, and give you peace and clarity. Trust me it helps. Sometimes though it may not really be the answer you are looking for, but trust me, it'll be worth it! One time I read somewhere, "If you settle for second best, then you aren't allowing God to bring the absolute best into your life." He wants what's best for you, you just may have to be patient. So just trust Him, I'm pretty sure he knows about what you really need!
So, basically what I am trying to say here is, don't just date a guy because of what your flesh wants, or because of how cute he is. Listen to what God has in store for you and seek wise counsel from your parents or someone you respect and know will watch out for you!
2. Here's the one you were probably waiting for!
The definition of passion is a strong and barely controllable emotion. And then a synonym for passion is desire.
You may now know where this is going.
One thing, I have promised to myself is to stay pure until I get married. It is something I am very passionate about. Actually, in one of the studies I have down on purity and dating this verse was shown to me:
"A garden locked is my sister, is my bride, a spring locked, a fountain sealed."
~Song of Solomon 4:12
There is a lot that can be said about this verse, but the one thing that is said about this verse is, the right man will love you for staying pure.
If a guy is pressuring you in to having sex with him, then he doesn't really love you. He just wants what he wants, for his own desires.
But the right man will love you and treasure you for staying pure.
Someone that has written several books, songs, and talks about this on her podcast and youtube channel is Jamie Grace. I absolutely love her! Her most famous song on this topic is "White Boots".
Here are some of the lyrics:
"That's the kind of innocence that makes me wanna wait
Until my wedding day Standing face to face with the love I know is true
I'll promise him forever from the day we say, "I do"
I've got my white boots
My white dress
And baby, I ain't getting them dusty."
I love this song! Not only does it have an amazing message but it has a beat to it that makes you want to dance!
Also her newest song on staying pure called, "Wait it Out" was released right after she got married and indeed did wait it out.
I would definitely recommend listening to these songs!
So, if you want to pledge to stay pure until marriage, I would also recommend writing a letter to yourself, promising that you will stay pure until the right man comes along and takes you to be his wife. Just to make it more official!
Pursue Righteousness:
We went over this one during part one, but it is just a great reminder to set your morals and boundaries. It is so important to have these! I have actually been working and praying on mine! I am almost finished with mine! A little tip: Make this boundaries "list" before you start dating, that way they are already in your mind, and so if you like a guy and he doesn't want to follow along with some of the boundaries you have made, you won’t feel pressured to stretch them out a little for him. Have them set in stone.
Also, a guy who isn't a Christian won't have the same morals as you do...KEEP THIS IN MIND!!
Pursue Faith:
Work on building your relationship with God before you start dating. I did a study with my youth group on singleness and how to use the time wisely. I am going to be doing a blog on that soon! So be looking out for it! But, getting myself back on track, focus on your relationship with God first! One woman I love to think about when I am thinking about this is Ruth. Yes, it may not be what most people think when they think about her, but she did indeed focus on her relationship with God. She didn't go out there looking for the perfect guy for her. She instead, devoted her free time to getting to know God better, and formed a relationship with Him, before Boaz walked into the picture.
Pursue Love:
Again, this is one thing I am very passionate about, please do not date for fun! It will only bring you unnecessary heartbreak. You should be looking to marry, that should be your longterm goal, during the dating process.
Jamie Grace also agreed with this. Something amazing that she did was..........BE SINGLE UNTIL SHE FOUND THE RIGHT GUY! She was single her whole life until she met her husband, Aaron! I think this is so cool! Obviously, it worked out for her, because she now is happily married with a baby daughter.
Pursue Peace:
This one is more goes along with seeking wise counsel! If you do listen to the wise counsel the was given to you, I promise it will lead you to peace! It may not be what you want to hear at the moment, but it is worth it! They want you to be with a guy that will bring you peace!
The definition of peace is the freedom of mental or emotional upset.
So, find someone that doesn't play around with your emotions! Someone who gives you peace.
Also, rely on the peace that God loves you even if you are in one of those little weird ruts of being lonely while waiting for the right guy.
Along with those who call on the Lord with a pure heart:
Again with the, DO NOT DATE UNBELIEVERS! They will not have the same morals or path in life that you have set for yourself.
Since I already used Ruth, it seems appropriate to talk about Boaz. Who was an absolutely outstanding guy! He was the right guy that the Lord had picked out for Ruth.
Boaz's qualities:
🔹 He was a devout follower of the Lord. (Ruth 2:12)
🔹 He was diligent. (Ruth 2:1)
🔹 He was friendly. (Ruth 2: 4, 8)
🔹 He was generous. ( Ruth 2:15) He let Ruth, even though, she was an outsider collect food out of his fields. She gleaned among the sheaves, basically getting all of the leftovers.
🔹He was encouraging. ( Ruth 2:12) He encouraged Ruth with scripture!
🔹 He was kind. (Ruth 2:20) Boaz was known for his generosity and kindness.
🔹 He was discreet, and cared about Ruth's reputation! (Ruth 3:14)
🔹 He was faithful, and true to his word! (Ruth 4:1-10)
In my opinion, the story of Ruth and Boaz is probably the most beautiful love story out there! Ruth is a good example to follow. She was following the Lord devoutly and he placed the right guy for her in her path!
Well, I hope you liked this break down of 2 Timothy 2:22! I can't wait to talk to you soon! Let me know what you think of this and if you want to see some more blogs like this! Love y'all! Remember: You are Perfectly Imperfect!🌸🌸
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