by Leslie Ludy

The concept of trusting God to script our love story in His own perfect time, without manipulation on our part, is typically treated as ridiculous and naïve in today’s Christian world. The idea that everything – including the good dreams and hopes God has given us – must be surrendered back to Jesus Christ is often deemed extreme and unnecessary in modern Christianity.    And shooing away mediocre men in order to wait for a man completely abandoned to God is viewed by many as a recipe for lifelong disappointment.  

Many modern voices contend that since God obviously created marriage, and that marriage is clearly a good thing in Scripture, that we should not accept an extended season of singleness.  They tell us we should view singleness as a curse of our society, not a purpose-filled opportunity from our loving Father.

But what is the pattern of the Gospel?

Christ said, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.”  (Luke 14:26)

Paul said, “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”  (Phil 3:8)

Once upon a time, Christian men and women understood what it meant to lay down everything for the sake of Christ – including their desires for marriage and family.  Like Abraham surrendering Issac, they willingly laid their most sacred and priceless blessings upon the altar before God.  They realized that if He desired them to be married, He would make it clear in His own perfect time and way.  But He must always come first, and He must always be implicitly trusted. When Jesus Christ is in His rightful place, we discover lasting true beauty and fulfillment.  There is always unspeakable joy on the far side of surrender!