Tag: corinthians

Amazing Roles that God Can Play in Your Life

Posted on by thechristiantechnerd

Have you ever seen a movie where one actor plays multiple roles? Isn’t it fascinating that one person can portray so many people and appear to operate in each part seamlessly? The reality is that God is even better at playing numerous roles, and the critical element to consider is that He is not acting.

He already is in each position that we will explore, and He is able, willing, and ready to fill each of the roles if we simply allow Him to. This list scratches the surface but is a good starting point to be reminded of some of the remarkable roles God can play in your life.

  1. Savior
    First and foremost, God is our savior. Mom can’t save us, dad can’t save us, our friends cannot save us, and we can’t even save ourselves, but God can!

Isaiah 45:21-22 states, “Consult together, argue your case. Get together and decide what to say. Who made these things known so long ago? What idol ever told you they would happen? Was it not I, the Lord? For there is no other God but me, a righteous God and Savior. There is none but me. Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other.”

When we allow God to play the role of savior in our lives, we are saved from our sins and blessed with the opportunity to spend eternity in Heaven with Him.

  1. Father
    Depending on the type of relationship you may have had with your earthly father, the role of God as Father can be easy to embrace, or it may be challenging. Nevertheless, one of the beautiful roles God wants to play in your life is Father.

Romans 8:15-17 states, “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”

When we recognize God as Father, we can take comfort in knowing that He wants a relationship with us, desires what is best for us, and He is ultimately working everything in our lives out for our good.

  1. Rock
    Feeling shaky or unsteady? Are you in search of a firm or solid foundation that doesn’t shift? God is the answer.

He is our rock. Psalm 18:2 states, “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.” When we allow God to fill the role of rock in our lives, we can find a sense of safety and security. People change, situations come and go, but God remains the same; therefore, we can be strengthened and hopeful in God our rock.

  1. Refuge
    Have you ever needed a safe place in which you could rest and find shelter? The role of refuge is God’s specialty. Psalm 62:7-8 states, “In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.”

Take comfort in knowing that we can find refuge in God in the presence of trouble or hardship. He is a reliable resource with whom you can share all of your concerns and any thoughts you have been holding within the depths of your heart.

  1. Helper
    Raise your hand if you are someone who tries to do everything on your own? Are you someone who struggles to ask for help or feels as if you are on your own when it comes to getting duties, assignments, and tasks completed? It does not have to be that way, beloved.

Psalm 46:1 states, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Also, Isaiah 41:13 states, “For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.” Both scriptures are reminders that you can go to God for help. You may have to loosen your grip on that situation and allow God to fill the helper role. You do not have to go through life without His divine help.

When we let God be our helper, we often find a sense of relief and even ease in completing whatever we invite Him to be involved in.

  1. Guide
    Feeling lost? Need directions? God has that role covered. Psalm 48:14 states, “For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.” Furthermore, Psalm 25:8-10 states, “The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way. The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.”
  1. Comforter
    In times of distress, grief, or sorrow, God is our comforter. 2 Corinthians 1:3 states, “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort…”

Isn’t it good to know that we have access to the ultimate GPS? God lives within us to lead, guide, and direct our paths, but we must first surrender playing that role in our lives and allow Him to take the lead.

Also, 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 states, “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.”

Both passages show that when we allow God to fill in the role of comforter, we can gain strength and hope to make it through some of the most difficult times of our lives.

  1. Provider
    I have needs, you have needs, all of God’s children have needs, and guess what? One of God’s many roles is to meet our needs as a provider. Philippians 4:19 states, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”

This passage points us to our source for resources. While we might not get everything that we want, God graciously provides exactly what we need. Don’t get me wrong, there are times where we may feel like our needs are not being met as quickly as we would like, or we might have our needs confused with our wants, but the truth is God always provides.

  1. Defender
    There will be times in life when we are wronged or deeply hurt. Our human nature is to retaliate or take matters into our own hands. The fact that God is our defender is a thought that we must rehearse in our minds. Romans 12:19 states, “Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.”

The latter portion of 2 Chronicles 20:15 also reminds us, “This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” Even when it may appear that our enemies are winning, the truth is that God is always fighting for us. Certainly, we may find difficulty with surrendering and allowing God to play the role of defender, but He has proven over and over that He stays faithful to His promises.

  1. Deliverer
    Oh, how we would love to go through life problem-free experiencing nothing but sunny days, cool breezes, rainbows, and butterflies with optimal health. Unfortunately, that is not the reality of this life.

Psalm 34:19 states, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.” We are reminded that life is full of trouble, but the essential truth we must remember is that God is our deliverer. He was gracious enough to forewarn us that pain and suffering will come and loving enough to promise to deliver us.

So, amid many tests and trials, cling to the fact that God is your deliverer.

How Should Christians Approach Dating

Posted on by thechristiantechnerd

I’m not looking to date anyone until after I graduate from college, but I do ponder how Christian should go about dating in our app based dating society where everyone bases who they want to date just on how they look on the outside and not what makes them who they really are on the inside…I know this sounds “cheesy”, but I hope that the man I marry loves me for me and not for anything other than that.

Among modern evangelical Christians, there have been multiple books, movements, and rules presented as the “biblical” approach or method to dating. From Joshua Harris’ I Kissed Dating Goodbye in the early 2000s to the many rules for dating in contemporary Christian circles, there is no end to supposed scriptural views on dating.

Amid this overwhelming sea of methods and rules, many Christians wonder what the Bible says about this overly discussed topic and how they should approach dating.

Specifically, there is nothing in the Bible about dating. In fact, none of the people mentioned in the Bible ever dated but rather participated in prearranged marriages and betrothals. The modern Western idea of dating did not exist in biblical times and even many cultures today do not practice dating either.

Scripture, however, does provide a few general principles that can be applied to the modern practice of dating and courtship, including maintaining a proper perspective while dating and focusing on purity in romantic relationships.

Common ‘Biblical’ Methods and Rules for Dating
In churches and Christian culture, there are many popular rules for dating. Some of these include not holding hands or not showing affection, only dating someone with the intention of marrying them, only dating for a set period, having a required chaperone on dates, or not dating at all in order to wait for a person’s “one true love” to come.

These rules are not found in the Bible since Scripture does not discuss dating. Instead, these assumptions have developed over time due to major movements in Christian culture.

In the early 2000s, Joshua Harris’ book, I Kissed Dating Goodbye, swept through the Christian world and encouraged Christians to no longer date, but wait for the one person whom they would marry.

Many believers followed the teachings found in the book and refused to date anyone to instead wait for the divinely chosen person whom God intended for them to marry. Such teachings gradually declined in popularity and Joshua Harris recanted his book in 2016 and announced he was no longer a Christian in 2019.

Currently, the popular trend among evangelical Christians is to prepare and pray for their future spouse. This is especially popular among Christian girls and women who are encouraged to prepare, pray, and dream about their future husbands. Dating is not discouraged but is rather pushed into strict seriousness by requiring Christians to date with the intention of marrying.

The problem with this view, however, is that there is nothing in Scripture about praying for one’s future spouse, someone that is unknown or may not even exist. While Christians can participate in dating, there is no biblical promise or guarantee that every Christian will have a spouse.

Maintaining a Proper Perspective While Dating
For Christians, their first priority in all situations should always be the Lord (Matthew 6:33; Luke 10:27). Oftentimes in dating, people become infatuated and almost obsessed with their new boyfriend or girlfriend. Other important relationships often take a back seat to the new person they are dating.

Even a Christian’s relationship with the Lord can be negatively impacted by putting too much focus, time, and energy into pursuing dating or a new relationship. As Marshall Segel states in his article about dating, “The first step in dating should always be the step of faith we take toward our Lord, Savior, and greatest Treasure, King Jesus” (“The Golden Rule in Christian Dating,” Desiring God).

Just as each individual Christian should be deliberate about their relationship with the Lord, seeking to glorify Him in their life, they should also ensure that the person they are dating is completely in love with the Lord. Believers should not date unbelievers because of the possibility of marriage in any dating relationship (2 Corinthians 6:14-15).

Also, even if a Christian is dating a believer, they need to be aware of the other person’s relationship with God. Are they actively growing in their walk with Christ? Do they desire to love Him more than anything in the world, including being in a relationship or getting married? Believers should be aware of the spiritual state of the person they are seriously dating.

Finally, in regard to keeping a proper perspective while dating, Christians should also avoid falling into the trap of desperation. The church culture in the Western world, especially America, places a large emphasis on marriage, which places pressure on single believers to get married.

This often causes single Christians to become desperate and to date anyone because of the pressure to be married often just to have sex within the confines of marriage. Such a mindset goes against the Bible, which urges believers to seriously consider marriage or singleness based on legitimate reasons and not because of external pressure (1 Corinthians 7:35).

Although these Christians can still date with the intention of finding someone to marry, there is still the possibility that they will remain single for a part or the rest of their life. Being single is not a lesser state but has many great benefits in serving the Lord (1 Corinthians 7:32, 34).

Believers would be wise not to waste the time they have as single individuals, but instead pray and be open to God’s guidance about when, who, and if they should be dating.

The Need for Biblical Purity
While Scripture does not give any rules for how a person should date, the Bible does teach about the need to maintain purity in romantic relationships (1 Corinthians 6:13). Purity is a foreign idea to the worldly system, which promotes sexual immorality.

Many unbelievers and even some believers will commonly date someone, live with them for a while, and then find another boyfriend or girlfriend. However, Christians who want to live glorifying lives for Christ according to the Bible should avoid the temptation of living with their girlfriend or boyfriend and instead maintain celibacy until marriage.

Teenagers and young adults are especially susceptible to the temptation of sexual relations outside of marriage because of the inundation of lust-inducing messages from movies, TV shows, music, and celebrities.

Scripture speaks against this, however, by stating, “Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts” (2 Timothy 2:22, NLT). Sexual relations should only occur within the bonds of marriage, between a husband and his wife (Matthew 19:4-6; Hebrews 13:4).

Thus, Christians who are dating should avoid any situations for the temptation to sin (1 Corinthians 6:18). Having accountability to godly family members and friends can help protect against sinning against the Lord and the person one is dating.

Also, asking for friends to double date could also be helpful in some situations. Believers should be aware of their hearts and know what will cause temptation, which can help prevent compromising situations of impurity.

If a Christian is tempted during a date, they should pray and seek to leave the situation (1 Corinthians 10:13). Both men and women followers of Christ should pursue purity in their dating relationships to glorify the Lord and follow His Word (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Christians and Dating
Though there are many dating methods and rules suggested in Christian circles, the Bible does not explicitly discuss how a Christian should approach dating. However, Christians need to view dating differently than those in the world, which promotes impurity and sexual immorality.

Instead of merely thinking about their own preferences in finding a boyfriend or girlfriend with the intention of marrying, believers should place God first in their lives and seek to be pleasing to Him in all they do, including dating.

Staying focused on one’s love for God will provide a proper perspective for romantic relationships since God is the one who provides ultimate fulfillment and love.