Then here are some questions to discuss:
When we are in a situation that bothers us, we sometimes tend to blame others. Or, we say it is inevitable. “It’s not my fault that I’m late, it’s the transit system that was broken.” “It was because of her that I didn’t get my promotion.” “If God’s standards weren’t so high, it would be easier to find a partner.”
Why do you think our first reaction is usually to lay the blame on someone or something other than ourselves?
In most cases (with rare exceptions) there is at least one little thing we could have done to arrive at a different result. What are the pros and cons of doing some introspection when we don’t like the situation we find ourselves in?
Read Romans 8:35-37. How can we be overcomers even though we are going through tribulation? How can we be free even though we are victims?
Read Isaiah 52:2. In this verse, Jerusalem is called to loosen its bonds. It is not God who is going to free her, she has to free herself. God can free us from certain bonds, but sometimes it is up to us to make the effort to let go of certain chains. One of those chains is the lack of time. We all have 24 hours, so pretending we don’t have time is wrong. Not having time to participate in different activities to develop friendships… is a bad excuse. How can we free ourselves from this excuse, in our desire to get married?
Read Luke 9:57-61. How can we free ourselves from the excuse of “lack of time” when it comes to our mission to make the Kingdom of God grow? Because we are all called to serve Him, but many Christians say “they don’t have time” to get involved. What is behind this excuse and how do you get out of it?
Another chain that holds Christian singles back is shyness. Again, this is a chain that we can break ourselves to keep us going. How can we free ourselves from this excuse when we want to find a partner?
Some Christians fail to testify to others because they say they are “too shy”. Yet Jesus did not die in secret; we shouldn’t keep our faith a secret. How can we break free from shyness to be a good witness for Christ?
A third chain that keeps singles from participating in new activities is laziness, or the effort it takes to leave their comfort. Have you ever been discouraged by the effort it takes to make new friendships? How do we break this chain and find the courage to break our routine?
Our comfort can also prevent us from serving the Lord. Tell us about a time in your life when God asked you to do something for Him that was outside your comfort zone. How did you do it, and what did you learn from this experience?
Read Philippians 4:13. Even though we have our part to do in freeing ourselves from these chains, of course Christ is there to help us. How can the Holy Spirit help us move forward, both in our efforts to make new friends and in our service to the Lord?
Some prayer points to conclude:
Pray for the help of the Holy Spirit to free us from all our excuses;
Ask the Holy Spirit for his guidance and ideas for making new friendships and serving the Lord;
… And of course, please pray for Passion374! Thank you!
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