The Wait, Part 7: Married & Young Challenge (Extreme Makeover, Holy Edition - In Security)

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This afternoon, Monica Umunna, Married and Young's Director of Product Development, shared a word on insecurity in the 5 Day Challenge group. She discussed how both the man and woman in a marital union should be secure in who they are BEFORE God sends them a spouse. She alluded to the story of Samson and Delilah in the Bible, emphasizing that Delilah was able to subdue Samson because he was not secure. In Judges 16, Samson falls in love with Delilah, who was sent as a decoy by the Philistines so that they could find the secret to his strength. He resisted her 3 times, but on the fourth time, she used the fact that he loved her to get him to reveal that his secret was in his hair. It was easy for her to break him down because he wasn't secure in who he was. As we pray for our future spouses, we also need to pray for a spirit of discernment. We need to make sure we won't be so blinded by love (and lust) that we can't distinguish between who was sent by God to help build us up and who was sent by Satan to break us down.

I've often heard my single girlfriends say, "I'm tired of being alone! I need a man who completes me!" And when they find the man (First mistake: they don't wait for God to SEND him to find them!)...as I was saying, when they find the man, they completely re-center their lives to revolve around him, cutting off ALL their friends (some of whom they've known their whole lives) and their self-worth hangs on his every word. That's not healthy at all. Ladies and gents, your significant other should complement (and compliment!) you, but it is NOT his/her job to complete you. You should be whole with or without him/her. If you're not, you should probably re-evaluate some things...starting with your relationship with God. The reason Monica stressed the importance of finding security in God is because God is the only One who can make you whole. Go to Him when you are broken. When your self-esteem is low, only God can help you truly know who and Whose You are. Having a husband/wife cannot make YOU believe that you are enough. You have to walk in that truth BEFORE marriage. If you don't, you'll find yourself relying too much on your spouse's approval...and you could find yourself walking alone. Let us pray:

God, help us to see our singleness as a remodeling process. Help us to find peace in knowing that the reason You are making us wait is because You are making necessary repairs, finalizing the renovations in our single lives. Help us to understand that a work has to be completed within our own houses before You add on a spouse. In our single season, affirm who we are in You so we can stand on a firm foundation. Help us to be strong in singleness so that we can be stronger together in matrimony. Lay in us a groundwork of unshakeable faith so that we may be adequately prepared to weather any and every storm that marriage may bring. Let our lives and our unions be a reflection of who You are.

In Jesus' name we pray,

Amen

For a recap of the message shared yesterday, click here.