Letters from God

 Letters from God.

The Bible itself is a whole letter from God telling us how to live. And the words from the lips of His servants are also God’s way of dealing with issues in our lives. One of the issues that affects us most in life are relationships.  Welcome to the relationship series.

Date God First

by Adetokunbo Adeoye

In our society dating is commonplace. Usually when couples date, they are attempting to get to know each other better. The dating scene is also an avenue through which individuals attempt to find their soul mates, ascertain their compatibility, and build their relationships.

I\’m not one to overemphasize dating, since the Bible doesn\’t say anything about it as a means of finding the \”right one.\” Although some good relationships have evolved from couples who started out dating each other, you don\’t have to date forty different people, call the singles line, sign on with an online dating service, or enroll as a member of a dating club in your area in order to find the right person for you.

You don\’t need to consult Miss Cleo to find your God-sent. You don\’t need to browse the horoscope section of your local newspaper via your alleged zodiac sign to figure out who is best for you. You don\’t need to be a guest in a day time talk show to hook up with your childhood sweetheart.

You don\’t need to audition for a spot in the Bachelor or Bachelorette to get hitched. And you certainly don\’t need to interview various individuals under the guise of a date, and check right or wrong on your mental notepad as a stamp of approval or disapproval, and a means of screening out your prospects and narrowing them down to the right person for you.

You may argue that, although the Good Book doesn\’t say anything about dating, it doesn\’t say that it is wrong, either. I concur. Dating is not wrong; it may just be a waste of time, with the exception that you date the right person first.

You will save some sleep, gas mileage, cell phone minutes, money, energy, and maybe even your sanity. You will probably also save yourself from unnecessary disappointments, professions of love, and of course—bad pick up lines, if you date the right person the first time out.

The only way you can accomplish that, though, is to make God your first date. He is love, and as you date Him and allow Him to woo you with His love; He shows you true love, which enlightens you on what to look for, what to expect, and how to radiate this same love.

Besides, if you\’re into blind dates, you couldn\’t have a better blind date. He puts a new meaning to the concept of a blind date—since you can\’t see God when on a date with Him. Also, God is a hot date. You can\’t get any date hotter than God, since He\’s a consuming fire.

By dating God, I mean seeking Him:

• Getting to know Him spending time with Him
• Building your relationship with Him, by reading and adhering to His words in His Book
• Attending and committing yourself to a good Bible based local church, where you listen to, and learn from your pastor, your peers in Bible study or other functions; and perhaps, other ministries on radio, television, and internet broadcasts.
• Communicating with Him through prayers and songs of praise and worship—kind of similar to how couples often communicate and compliment each other during a date.

Although for whatever reason, people are encouraged to come out of the closet, I suggest that you go into yours and pray, cultivating your date with God.

Your prayer closet could be your walk-in closet; it could be your room, a quiet spot under the shade of a tree in your favorite park, or your car if you have one. It could also be a rich, green, neatly, mowed lawn juxtaposed to a lake, where you feel your first date\’s breeze blow softly through your Jerry curls, greasy fade, corn rows, wig, weave, dreadlocks, receding hairline and afro, which may still have a comb in it; or braided, blonde, black, red, or brown hair that may or may not need a touch of Vidal Sassoon.

God is the best date and lover that you can ever have. He is never late for a date. He never stands you up. He always knows what\’s on your mind, even before you tell Him, if you tell Him. You don\’t have to wear a special attire to impress Him; He accepts you just as you are—that is—the way you look, and not a wayward lifestyle which He doesn\’t condone.

He never embarrasses you by being unmannerly or obnoxious during your date with Him. He never ignores you, neither does he disrespect and demean you by blatantly checking out others while on the date with you. This is the best part, He always picks up the tab—actually, He already picked up the tab on the cross!

Moreover, He is always available to talk to you. You can call Him anytime, any day, and anywhere—60 seconds a minute, 60 minutes an hour, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year.

He never puts you on hold, although you may feel like He does sometimes, especially when you\’re waiting for your mate amongst other \”seemingly\” unanswered prayers. He\’s the only lover that does not mind you having an affair with someone else; as long as that someone else is the person He wants you to marry.