Patience, Contentment, and Convictions

Take courage, single friend. You are not alone in your wait; neither are you alone in feelings and struggles you encounter. Many godly women have waited and won. Many women have lost hope and compromised. Wait patiently and win triumphantly the future your Father has planned for you. It will always be designed with you in mind and is worth being patient to discover. Ruth was a wonderful example of a Lady of Patience. Ruth did not allow her circumstances or lack of male companionship to cause her to be impatient. Instead she concentrated on developing companionship with her Heavenly Father and chose to let Him bring a husband to her if He saw fit. She concentrated on being a lady of character, not on getting a man. She took one day at a time, knowing that God was not bound by circumstances nor her age. She used the wait to become the woman God wanted her to be. At the end of this personal preparation God chose to provide her with a husband. In Ruth 4:13, we see the end to their love story,. "So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife....."


Some qualitities that us Christians need to look for in a husband or wife...a great reminder for our own lives. Are we living our lives according to the standards of Christ and for our future spouse?

Being a Spirit-controlled Christian- Eph. 5:18
Jesus is 1 in our life, not just an ornament-Mark 12:30
Broken, understands how to rely totally upon Jesus-Phil 4:13
Ministry-Minded, wherever he or she is, we are always available-1 Cor.4:2
Motivator; people of visions, concerned about lost  souls-Romans 10:14
Sensitive spirit; in tune to the needs of others-Gal.6:2
Humble enough to be a disciple and able to disciple others-Matthew 28:19-20
Man or Woman of prayer, knows the key to success in their private time with God-Col.4:2
Family person; desires to have children and raise them properly for God's glory-Proverbs 22:6
Becoming a Lady of Conviction
The Lady of Conviction gives the Lord permission to renew her mind on a daily basis. She spends time searching the Word of God for standards that will guide her safely to God's best. (I want God's best!) She has made a significant choice as a godly woman. She has surrendered her mind to a new persuasion; God's perspective on love and romance. The convictions that she establishes, based on the Word, allow her to resist being squeezed into the mold of this world. She is a non-conformist in a biblical sense, as in Romans 12:2 which says, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will." As women we need to develop these qualities now just like we want our future husband to have these qualities too. We want to marry someone for the qualities they possess now, not for the qualities you hope they will develop.
One important lesson I have learned is that the most common mistake made by marriage partners is marrying someone they intend to change. Since it is nearly impossible to change a person, you will want to set standards of dating, or of building of friendships, with men who are characterized by the qualities you want in a husband.

Be blessed, Misty