THE YEAR GOD SAID NO TO DATING

In 2014, God had spoken to me about taking a year off from dating. He had spoken several times throughout 2013 to prepare my mind for a year of no dating although I just brushed the idea to the side for months. However, when the end of December of 2013 came, I felt a strong urge to obey God and see what the new year would bring.

During the year of no dating, I was blessed immensely. Doors were opening left and right and I also made several godly friendships which I still treasure today. The most important part about the year He told me not to date was what He taught me. Coming form a single parent household and never seeing successful marriages from any of my friends or family members, I didn’t have much faith in marriage. I also didn’t feel as prepared as those who came from two parent households. It seemed like a great idea, but I wasn’t sure if could still happen His way in my generation. God reassured me that it was still possible and that I should wait on Him. I learned that God would send me the perfect match and not a perfect man in HIS timing and not my own.

2014 was a year of letting go of the pain of failed relationships and disappointments. God showed me that before He would bless me with His best for me, I needed to let go of all the baggage from old romantic relationships and friendships. A successful marriage requires a lot of forgiveness and God needed time to sharpen me in this area. He also taught me in our alone time together to make peace with my shortcomings, recognize the red flags of counterfeits, what marriage His way looks like, the importance of a man having Him as a priority in his life, the compatibility of our purpose from Him, and the importance of his upbringing. God dove deep into each of these topics and revealed to me that prior to this year, at the age of 29, I was not ready for marriage. I know now that what I thought I wanted in a mate may not have been what I really needed. Today, I refuse to settle for less than God’s best or anyone’s idea of the perfect mate for me. I choose to trust that the God of the universe, who can do all things but fail, is totally capable of bringing my husband and I together at the right time at the right place. He won’t be perfect, but He will be perfect for me.

If you are single, I encourage you to wait on God and trust Him with your love life. Ask Him to remove anything in you and your future mate that would serve as a barrier to a godly marriage that satan could easily demolish. Marriage is already hard, so as His daughters we shouldn’t go into it without God’s help, direction, and preparation.