Does God Warn Us?

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I believe God warns us of things to come. A sign through a friend; a harbinger in prophecy; seemingly random occurrences; a check in your spirit, etc. As a matter of fact, I’m convinced that He does. There have been many decisions made, when in hindsight, we develop 20/20 vision. What if we were to submit ourselves before God and then seek Him when it comes to making decisions? How differently would our lives be?

Should I date Tom? Should I apply for this job? Should I train for the triathlon? Should I purchase a new home? Should I have children? These questions are quantifiable. They seem simple enough. But when we don’t bathe our decisions in prayer, are we ready to receive the consequences of our actions; the action we took without going to God first. The answers really are in God’s word. Yes, there are gray areas in the Bible, that’s why God gave us wisdom in His word, a discerning spirit, and wise counsel.

This truth makes me feel great every time I think about it; the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside of me because I’m a child of God! I’m no longer governed by my pre-Christ self. (Romans 8: 10-12) Woo wee! Doesn’t that make you feel great, awesome, alive?! This means that when God warns us and we listen, we won’t have to keep making the same disastrous decisions. Some may think, surely God doesn’t want us to go to Him with everything. Wrong! In fact, He tells us to in Philippians 4:6-7, Proverbs 16:3, Jeremiah 33:3, 1 Chronicles 16:11.

Before you began your romantic relationship, did you ask God?  And if you did, did you wait for His answer? We sometimes jump blindly into relationships without considering the consequences. We might think, “He’s so cute. I can see him on my arm.” “He said he’s a Christian and we all know how Christians are.” “He comes from a great family, so I know he’ll treat me good.” “She sure is smart.” “She knows how to dress.” “She laughs at my jokes.” We give reasons like, his smile, nice car, has a good job, status, etc. We surmise that, of course God wants us to date. Isn’t He a relational God? Why wouldn’t God want me happy and in a relationship? Does God even care if I date so and so?

Of course God cares. That’s why He warns us. Remember, He knows the beginning from the end. This is important. Think back, were there warning signs before your emotions became involved and you gave your heart away to the wrong person? Was there something about him/her that didn’t sit right with you? Did you blow off the fact that he abused his last girlfriend or wife but thought it wouldn’t happen to you? Was there chatter that she cheated on her last boyfriend and you just knew she wouldn’t do that to you? Did he give you expensive gifts every time you met with him, making you feel like he really cared about you, but truth be told you felt overwhelmed? Did she come on so strong and fast that you never had a chance to catch your breath before you found yourself in a relationship with her? Did she tell you who you could and couldn’t hang out with early on in your relationship under the guise of wanting to spend more time with you to get to know you better? Were you pushed into making a decision you didn’t want to because you didn’t want to rock the boat? Did he/she assume that you’d do everything with him/her and not want you to have any other friends? Those are all warning signs. Beware of who you allow to take up space in your mind.

How do the following statements make you feel?

Pay Close Attention When Dating:

Disclaimer, of course pobody’s nerfect (a play on words…nobody is perfect), we all have flaws, that’s why we have to pray earnestly before entering or moving forward in a relationship.

Does this person have a consistent bad temper in all situations and explains it away that they’re just passionate about things and this is how they express themselves? If so, don’t wait around for him/her to blow up on you.

Would you want to bring this person around your discerning best friend or aunt? If not, run.

When with this person do you feel like you are compromising your morals and values? Red flag.

When out to dinner, does this person drink alcohol excessively, insisting to drive you home? Something’s wrong there.

Is he/she spiritual and genuinely saved, or straddling the fence? You are unequally yoked.

Does he/she have a way of focusing on every weakness you have and pointing them out to you, belittling you? Not a good match.

Do you smoke now to calm your nerves since you’ve been in this relationship?

Did he break up with you? Walk away permanently.

Have you caught this person in lies?

Is your relationship too good to be true?

Do you feel forced to sexually tie your soul to this person.

God Only Wants What’s Best for You

When we settle in our dating relationships, we miss out on God’s best for us. When we don’t listen to God’s warnings, we set ourselves up for heartbreak and soul ties that should never have been. “God’s idea of partnership is a person who leads you closer to Him, a person who is not deceived by another steering clear of His name.” Will you pay attention to God’s warnings?