God Does Not Want To Date You
Luke 13: 26-27 Then you will say, 'But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' And he will reply, 'I tell you, I don't know you or where you come from. Get away from me, all you who do evil.' (NLT)
American author Joseph Campbell once said, " Marriage is not a love affair. A love affair is a totally different thing. A marriage is a commitment to that which you are. That person is literally your other half. And you and the other are one. A love affair isn't that. That is a relationship of pleasure, and when it gets to be unpleasurable , it's off. But a marriage is a life commitment, and a life commitment means the prime concern of your life. If marriage is not the prime concern, you are not married. " It seems sometimes in the modern church we have a love affair with Jesus; not the commitment He is seeking from us. Beloved, God is not interested in dating you.
I remember as a teenager we had terms we would use for the level of commitment in a relationship. If you were "seeing someone" that meant that you were still free to date other people. If you were "going out with someone" that meant that you were mutually exclusive. Then of course you had the next level, which was when a "promise ring" was given, indicating that at some point you intend to become engaged, which is an indication that at some point you wanted to marry. All of these steps in commitment are fine for the development of human relations but God does not want our intentions He wants our commitment.
But
if you refuse to serve the L ord ,
then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors
served beyond the
Choose who it is that you will serve. I know some might be thinking, "Well I go to church! I even attend prayer meetings on Friday!" Sounds like you are just "seeing someone." That was the convenient thing about seeing someone. Maybe you had a date on a Friday night and spent a couple hours together on Sunday but there was no serious investment of time. No serious investment of self. You could still see who you wanted to on Saturdays or maybe spend some time with your friends; you know the ones you probably wouldn't want to see you with Jesus. As long as things were agreeable you were fine but the second that relationship cost you something you were not willing to give up, you were out. Unfortunately, there are too many people today who have religion but no relationship. Religion requires that you show up on time for a date. It requires that you spend a little money on it. It requires that you go through the motions. You have the outward appearance of someone in a relationship without the annoying features of a commitment. But a real relationship is sacrificial; it costs something of you.
Maybe you might be thinking that not only do you go to church and prayer meetings but you serve in ministry! You may even lead a ministry! You may even preach the Word of God! And don't get me wrong that is all terrific. But that sort of sounds like you are "going out with someone." The level of commitment is certainly higher but there is still something being held back. Maybe you are holding onto secret sins; which by the way are not secret to God anyway. Maybe you don't really read the Word for yourself. Maybe you have lost the passion you once had when you first started flirting with God. Maybe the religion has dampened the relationship. Maybe your prayer life has gone stale you know you don't talk to Him as much as you used to. But He is always there waiting to listen!
The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. 1Peter 3: 12a (NLT)
