We're in the midst of wedding season. It's the time of year when everyone you know is getting married. (If you're in your mid- to late-30s, that is). OK, so it might not be everyone, but it can certainly feel that way. Workplaces are buzzing with non-stop hen party and stag do chatter, magazines are bursting with wedding outfit ideas, and shop windows are displaying the "must-have" wedding gifts.
If you're single, weddings can be the time when, in between sipping champagne, stuffing your face with appetizers, and trying (and sometimes failing) to make small talk with the strangers you're sitting with, you most consciously contemplate the meaning of spousal love...while simultaneously wondering when you'll experience it firsthand.
God is known for making us wait, and He does so with good reason. Sometimes we need time to figure out if what we think we want is actually what we truly desire and need. In some cases, we need the space waiting provides to realize that what we're pursuing is not right for us. There are other times when we're made to wait in order to understand how precious something really is.
Waiting is a good time to reassess our desires. If you're waiting on God for someone special to come into your life, don't let the wait go to waste. Spending time reaffirming whether the man or woman you'd love to spend the rest of your life with is the same as God wants for you is one way you can make use of your waiting period.
While you wait
Stay positive. Negativity will get you nowhere fast. It may even lead you to pursue the wrong person as you become anxious about finding the one.
Philippians 4:6-7, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (NIV).
Who to look for
Irreconcilable differences appear to be the go-to reason for many divorces these days. While opposites can attract, it's vital that you are the right fit for your partner and vice versa. Whatever your differences, you should be compatible in spite of them.
2 Corinthians 6:14, "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" (NIV).
Continue to put God first
God isn't saving a space for your spouse. He isn't a placeholder, but a prime fixture. The prime fixture. If God is at the center of your life, then you're more likely to attract a partner whose values you share.
Proverbs 31:30, "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised" (NIV).
Ready yourself to love and be loved
Whether or not you're with someone who you're hoping to spend the rest of your life with, you're worthy of love. God certainly thinks so. The best way to prepare yourself for spousal love is to accept and appreciate the tremendous love your Father in heaven has for you. Once you do, you can be filled with encouragement to pass on that same kind of love.
Ephesians 5:25, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (NIV).
Worth the wait
Witnessing the abundance of romantic love that surrounds you during wedding season and beyond can make you even more impatient about your own search. But genuine, God-centered love between a couple is special, and that which is special is rarely easy to find.
Proverbs 31:10, "A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies" (NIV).
