God is all-powerful and omnipotent, that is, He can do everything. Despite this, just like a good Father, He will not do everything for us. In many situations, our victory will depend on our own boldness and courage.
All Israel was on one side of the battlefield, the Philistines on the other. In the center, a giant and arrogant enemy. God could have eradicated this threat by sending lightning from the sky or by opening the earth to engulf him. He could have just taken Goliath’s life or sent genetically modified frogs with sharp teeth (OK, a little too much science fiction here). But no, God waited for David to come forward, his heart burning with love for the Lord and with boldness and courage.
God never said that life would be easy for his children. We face all kind of giants in life Being a Christian can be dangerous at times. At one extreme, we must think about (and pray for) our brothers and sisters in Christ that are martyred regularly for their faith. But even if our life is not threatened, our faith continually places us in a position where we can lose face, lose money, lose comfort and even lose relationships.
Choosing not to have sex before marriage brings some fears. “What if my partner decides to break up because I say no?” Choosing not to accept the flirtation of a beautiful single woman because she is not Christian can bring other fears. “She may be the only girl who is interested in me.” Fears come to shake our beliefs. Then God, who is almighty and omnipotent does … nothing to take them away! This responsibility, He leaves it to us.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1.9 NASB). Be courageous? Yes, God does not give us courage, it’s up to us to develop it! What is courage for a Christian Single? To put our relationship with God first and refuse anything that could harm our holiness. “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12.14 NASB). It is to be ready to lose everything to stay in the Presence of God. “More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ” ( Philippians 3.8 NASB).
Falling in love is a big risk to take, whether we are Christians or not. It takes a good deal of courage to take the first steps towards someone. But if you want to stand firm in your faith, you will have other fears to face. You will need the courage to persevere in your convictions in the “hot” moments. You can ask God to strengthen you, as the Psalmist did. “On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul” (Psalms 138.3 NASB). When the Holy Spirit fills us, our courage grows. “And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31 NASB).
In short, the more time we spend near the heart of our Father, the more our courage grows. This is not surprising: when we are in the Presence of God, we feel so good that we don’t want to lose this state. We are no longer afraid of losing anything because nothing is more precious than His Presence. God does not give us the courage to resist temptations or to stand firm in our convictions, but He gives Himself to us. Do not wait for God to remove the bad suitors or the temptations from your path: it is your responsibility to be firm.
Do not be afraid to follow God’s way while dating. Do not compromise: be brave!