Put Off, Put On

It’s that time of year again.

Maybe it’s just something in the air of February. Maybe it’s the Valentines holiday nestled right smack in the middle of the month. Maybe it’s just me.

This is the time when the people who have been entertaining the idea of dating actually declare on facebook that they are in a relationship. It is also when the people who have been in a serious relationship finally nail down their marriage date.

Lately it has become even more close to home for me. These new couples and engagements are people I have known before they were even showing sign of interest in each other. They are friends that have always been a “fellow single person” and now they are welcoming someone new into their life that I have never before met. It is a little unnerving.

I won’t lie – I’m feeling left out. My girlish emotions are running wild with hormones and desires lately. “If they have their special someone, why can’t I?” This is the time to be pursuing that, right? Here at Bible college is the prime place to meet a good, godly guy. If I don’t meet him now, Lord, I might miss my chance…

But that way of thinking is impatient distrust on my part. I need not pursue any person on earth – only my God in heaven who loved me SO much He was willing to die for me! (Psalm 73:25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.)

I’ve been thinking about the “put off, put on” principle. It generally applies to sin verses righteousness. But in this case, there’s more. I can’t just ask God to take away these unruly emotions. God created me to love, but where does He want it to be channeled?

I cannot ask Him to take it away completely; instead I must ask Him to help me “put off” this lust and idolatry and to then turn around and “put on” complete surrender and devotion to Him who’s steadfast love surrounds me. (Psalm 32:10)

Holding any person higher than God is idolatry (even if I was married to him, it still would be.) If the Lord brings a man into my life in the future, he will be my protector, provider, and exhorter on this journey.

But GOD will be my security, my joy, my innermost peace, and very first love. Anything less is sin. I have learned over and over again (in my relatively short life :-) that when I pour my trust into another person, he will fail me.

But my God will remain faithful to the end (and beyond!) He has proven Himself time and time again. Right now, in this junior semester of college, He is drawing me to Himself like never before.

I pray for grace to have the right response. If I’m too busy focusing my affections on the guys in my life at this moment, I will miss the still, small voice of God, calling me to love Him with all my heart, soul, and mind.

That’s my two cents for today.