Isaiah 41:10 (NLT)
“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”
Maxine, known to her friends and family as Max, has a life that most people envy. She has a 40-hour a week job that pays quite well, but given how much she travels, you wouldn’t think she has a job at all. Her sense of adventure is relentless, and she travels to different places every chance she gets. When I phone to catch up on how things are going with her, my first question is always, “Are you in town or off traveling to another island somewhere?” Max has always traveled alone, and to everyone who knows her, she’s fearless, but when it comes to relationships with men, she’s not fearless at all. She’s frightened beyond belief and has never come even close to getting married or having a long-term relationship. I’ve known her the last 12 years, and her answer about why she’s stuck on single is always the same, “I don’t trust them.”
Max is on the opposite side of the spectrum. There are many single women that believe they can’t be happy without a significant relationship with a man. Then there are women like Max that don’t want or think they need a relationship with a man to be happy. With women that don’t feel they can be happy in life without being in a significant relationship, some really disturbing issues can rear their ugly heads. Sometimes these women make the mistake of giving all of themselves over to the relationship and end up idolizing the man. This leads to some pretty intense and emotional challenges, and that’s not what God wants.
When it comes to relationships, it doesn’t take rocket science to realize that we need to achieve a balance that both supports our well-being as well as our partner’s. Most importantly, that balance must honor God, and it must be maintained through our faith in our Heavenly Father.
You cannot help but think that Max’s feelings about men is connected to a much deeper issue, and it’s one that she is refusing to confront or acknowledge. Her distrust has built a wall around her heart. She’s so busy refusing to stay in one place for too long that she doesn’t realize she’s not allowing anyone to get close. Although some of us may not distrust men the way that Max does, we have other fears in our hearts, and they are blocking our blessings in the same way that Max’s distrust is blocking hers.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 (ESV) says, “7 Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. 8 He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” We can’t have faith and fear at the same time. Proverbs 3:5(ESV) tells us that we must “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” Every aspect of our minds and hearts must be fully persuaded with faith in God. And this isn’t just about relationships with men. We must trust God because of who He is, and we must trust Him in every area of life.
God says we’re blessed because we trust in Him. When we trust God, our roots do not become contaminated with fear, insecurities, and doubt. We do not become afraid under pressure and we’re not anxious about not being able to meet any challenge. We continually flourish because of our love for God through the Lord Jesus Christ. As daughters of the Most High and All-Powerful God, we don’t have the right to carry distrust or bitterness in our hearts. God commands us to walk by the Spirit and to live in faith. When this is our commitment, we will always be in balance and harmony with the Will of God and receive the bountiful blessings that come with it. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV), The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
“Blessed Are Those that Trust in God”, written by Kim Times, edited by Fran Mack and K. Stephens for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2023. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!