Loving God First

Hey girlies!

So sorry I haven't posted on this blog in a while! I've been hanging out over on my other blog lately. It's called The Great Lakes Girl. I would love it if you would check it out! :))

Anyways, there's been something on my heart lately that I just really need to get out. It's actually something that I kind of just recently figured out by myself.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about relationships. *NO* I am not currently in one. And *YES* my friends have tried. Many times. And to be completely honest, I'm getting sick of it. I feel like modern girls need guys to give them a sense of completeness, and vice versa.

God created us with that longing to be whole, complete. He intended us to fill that place in our hearts with love for Him. Sadly, though, we fill that void with worldly things that give us temporary pleasure. Sex, drugs, money, nice clothes, popularity--we fill our hearts with anything and everything that makes us happy. Maybe I'm being a little bit drastic, but I know there is one particular thing that every single girl has had in the place of God at one point. Boys. Whether it be one particular boy or fifteen, we all want to be accepted by the opposite gender. We want to be loved, cherished, protected, and adored--which are all honorable desires. Our hearts long to have the perfect little relationship, filled with quirks and romance and all of the other things that we see on Tumblr or Pinterest or Instagram. Let me share a little bit of my story and my personal struggles--and, ultimately, how I overcame them.

Lately, I've been more thoughtful about marriage and dating, and I recently started praying for my future husband. I have three main prayer requests that I focus on. 1) That he is a Christian and that he would continue to grow in faith, love for Jesus, and love for the church. 2) That he would have a heart of self-control, be slow to annoyance, and that he would know how to manage his anger in a quick way. 3) That he would have a heart of integrity in the small things, so that way he can be trusted in the big things.

The other day, when I found myself struggling with my emotions, I remember thinking, When is God going to send me a godly guy? Then the words of the Duggar girl's book, Growing Up Duggar, came back to me: "What kind of person will attract a godly guy? The answer is, a godly girl." The realization washed over me like a bucket of ice cold water. In order to attract an honest, honorable, Jesus-loving guy, we need to be honest, honorable, Jesus-loving girls ourselves. We're not going to attract the right kind of guy with booty shorts, a crop top, and a flirtatious attitude. A strong, Christian guy will say "no" to those kind of girls and move on.

Now, I'm not saying that any of you have been walking around in immodest outfits or with inappropriate behaviors or anything like that. All I'm saying is that we need to praying for God to work in our own lives in the areas we struggle, just as we're praying for our spouses. We can't expect a perfect, God-fearing man to walk into our lives if we are still "spiritual babies". (1 Peter 2:2-3.) Any type of compatibility is important in a relationship, but spiritual compatibility is the most important of all.

For a while now, I've liked this guy. At first I liked him for the usual girly reasons--he's athletic, good-looking, and has a nice smile. And then I started to look at the deeper things, and the attraction grew. He is a gentlemen, he is kind with his younger siblings, he is a strong Christian, and he treats girls with respect. I've been struggling with my emotions towards this guy because he is a couple years older than me, and I don't see it ever working out. But over the past couple days, I have felt God saying, "Love Me first. Love Me first, and then you will know how to love this young man in the way he deserves. Love Me first, and you will know how to love your spouse." I have felt peace. I am willing to wait for this guy, or any guy in the future. I am willing and ready to wait for my future spouse. I am learning to love God first. Yes, of course I still sigh whenever I see a cute couple on Pinterest. Occasionally I feel a strong need and want for that affection. But then I hear God say "Love Me first" and I am reminded that I am learning to love God so that way I can love my spouse. It can't be the other way around, because human love is twisted and tainted. Through God, love is pure. So love God first. Be willing to wait.

Love you girlies :))

~Em