relationships (Ecclesiastes 7:25-29) Finding Perfect Love

(Ecclesiastes 7:25-29) 

25 I directed my mind to know and to investigate, and to seek wisdom and an explanation, and to know the evil of foolishness and the foolishness of insanity. 26 And I discovered as more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are chains. One who is pleasing to God will escape from her, but the sinner will be captured by her.

27 “Behold, I have discovered this,” says the Preacher, “by adding one thing to another to find an explanation, 28 which I am still seeking but have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all these. 29 Behold, I have found only this, that God made people upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

It is foolish to pursue women who are bitter!  I would say this is applicable to the pursuit of both men and woman, but I'm thinking that the woman is used here as a warning to men, that even though women tend to be physically weaker and more delicate, this does not mean that they are necessarily more loving, kind and compassionate.  This is an illusion.  It would be delusional to assume that someone is loving, kind and compassionate, if and when they were deep down inside actually bitter, angry and resentful.  Just as dangerous, is the person who is self-centered, selfish and manipulative.

This is why it is so critical to get to know someone well enough, before dating, and most importantly before marrying.  This is why it is so critical that believers only date and marry another believer.  Just as critical, is knowing why we should save ourselves for marriage.  When a couple has sex, this is the act of marriage, where the two become one flesh.  All objectivity goes out the window, especially when one has chosen to engage in sex simply because the flesh wanted satisfying.  This means that one is allowing their flesh and emotions drive their decisions.

I know many people will say, "It's JUST sex."  But I pity those people.  Intercourse was created by the Lord as something most precious.  It is the most personal thing we can give to another person.  So when we come across people who want to convince us to engage in an intimate relationship, we must see those are dangerous red flags, and avoid that person and those situations.

We need to use wisdom and truth to drive our thinking and our decisions.  Fall in love with someone using our minds, and then enjoy with the heart.  And, when we understand that the purpose for sex is, not only for procreation, but to experience "oneness", we will then be more likely to remain obedient to God's commandment that we do not commit adultery (which is having sex outside of marriage, whether we are single or not).  Think about it!  If we have sex with someone while we are single, we are being unfaithful to our future spouse!  We are also proving to our future spouse (and others) that we do not have self-control.  Then, how much more likely is one to commit adultery when married?!

We are also mistaken if we think that a spouse can be our rock and our solution to life's happiness.  They are only human and they will let us down.  And to put anyone in the place of God is unfair to those people.  There is no way anyone can live up to the standards of perfection.  Only God is perfect, omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient.

God created man and woman and declared this "very good"!  Since God created us and sex, He knows how things work, much better than we do.  And He desires that we have rich, fulfilling and satisfying lives.  Therefore, He has given us instructions to follow, so we can experience this.  Understand that we can still be single, and have exactly that:  rich, fulfilling and satisfying lives!  Because it is only the Lord who can "complete" us.  

As believers, we have the Lord's Holy Spirit in our souls, always there to guide and help us.  We are to lean on Him, and trust Him in all things.  And when both husband and wife are doing that, their marriage will be so much stronger.  Even those who are single will be so much stronger with the Lord being one's solid foundation of truth, pillar of strength, and template of perfect love.