Daily Bible Verse

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. – Ephesians 4:1 (NIV)

You are a child of God and as His child, you’ve been called to do something for Him. God has placed desires and dreams in your heart and wants to help you accomplish them. But, have you noticed how easy it is to get sidetracked when it comes to our calling? Most of the time, it’s not intentional. We just get busy or sucked into the Netflix world and the next thing we know, we’ve totally forgotten about the things God has called us to do.

If we live our lives just for ourselves and we wait for our dreams to magically fulfill themselves, we will always be disappointed. We’ve got to be more intentional when it comes to our dreams. If we live our lives just for ourselves and look to others for fulfillment we will be disappointed. True fulfillment comes when we put our focus on our God-given calling.

The only thing that can bring you the peace and fulfillment you need is Jesus. He’s called you, so live a life that’s worthy of that calling. Choose to not be distracted by other things and choose instead to lean into Jesus. Trust Him to help you find the path that’s right for you. You’ve been called to great things!

Today’s Truth: Trust Jesus to help you find the right path.

There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven: – Ecclesiastes 3:1 (HCSB)

Let’s pretend that you’ve never seen a phone before. You had no idea what it was or what it could do. What would you do? Perhaps you’d ask someone. Maybe you’d find some people and ask them what it was. Those people could tell you what they thought it was used for.

Let’s say that one of the people said it made a good flashlight, and showed you how the light on the phone worked. Another said the phone was used to hold papers in place from blowing away. A third person told you how they used the phone as a camera.

So you’d come away with the idea that a phone is a good paperweight, flashlight, and camera. But if you really wanted to know what a phone did, you’d need to go to the person who created the phone and they could tell you all the ins and outs of how it worked and what it could do.

In the same way, when it comes to marriage, sex, sexuality, we need to go to the creator of those things to define them. If all your information about these issues comes from other people, you might not be getting the whole picture. So who created marriage? Who made sex and our sexuality? Well, God did.

Today’s Truth: Build your thinking on God’s Word

So to know the purpose of these things, we need to look to the Bible. In the Bible, God has recorded His purpose in these things. So over the next few days, we’ll look at some scriptures to show what God created and designed from the Bible. Because as Christians we should be building all of our thinking on God’s Word.

Fads, ideas, and opinions change, but God’s word stays the same. He created marriage, sex, and sexuality for a purpose and a time in our lives so let’s see what He says about it in His word.

We started last week talking a bit about dating relationships. Today we’re going to look into it a little more.

Have you ever thought about the fact that the person you’re dating, if you’re in a relationship, most likely won’t be the person you marry? Most relationships, especially when you are young come to an end. Yes, there are exceptions to that rule, but most do end. And if they end, then when you’re in the relationship, you should keep that in mind. Why? Because it will help you keep a proper perspective on your relationship.

Because if you know your relationship more than likely will end, then it keeps you from putting too much into it. Here are some examples.

If you know your relationship will end, it keeps you from putting too much time into it. Let’s say that you spend all your time with the person you date. So much so that you begin to ignore your other friendships. What happens when that relationship ends? Have your friends made all new friends and aren’t as willing to hang out with you any more?

Today’s Truth: Most Dating Relationships End, Don’t Invest too Much into them.

How about money? What if you spend lots of money on the person you date. Maybe you buy them nice gifts. What happens when the relationship ends? Do you think you’d wish you’d have spent less on them?

What about your imagination? Have you spent time thinking about your future with this person? Maybe you have your hopes up that they’re the person you’ll marry, and so you spend so much time imagining your future together. What if the relationship ends? What does that mean for you?

The same things can be said about how much you give physically, how much of your heart you give away, and how much energy you put into the relationship.

Be sure when you date that you don’t put too much into your relationship. Take caution to guard your heart and don’t give away too much in your relationships. Know that God is the one who you’re supposed to give your all to. Giving everything to another person puts them in the place of God in your life which isn’t healthy.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. – Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

Set good boundaries in your relationships. Don’t give away too much, and always guard your relationship with God. By seeking God first in your relationships, all the other things will be added back to you as well.

Over the next few days, we’re going to talk about relationships, sex, sexuality, and dating. These topics aren’t easy to cover. Lots of people have many different opinions about what is right in our world today. However, instead of going to research, opinions, and what everyone thinks is right, as Christians we should be going to the Bible for the answers to these questions.

So let’s go to God’s word, and see what He has to say about some of these topics. Today, we’re going to talk a little about dating. As a young person, you might be dating or considering dating someone.

So here’s a truth about dating. The people in your life are to share life with you, not to be your meaning or existence. That means that when you’re dating, you’ve got to put the proper perspective on your relationship.

Today’s Truth: The people in your life are there to share life with you, not to define you.

Are you looking to the person you date to bring you fulfillment? Are you looking to that person to bring you meaning, or give you worth in your life? If so, you need to reevaluate your relationship. The people in your life are not meant to bring you meaning or purpose. They are there to share life with you, not define you.

The only one who should be giving you purpose is God.

“You must not have any other god but me. “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. – Exodus 20:3 (NLT)

You might read this verse and think, yeah, but I’m not making a carved idol or worshipping the devil or anything, and think you’re ok. But here’s the thing. God wants your heart. Anything that steals your heart away from God is an idol. So is your relationship doing that?

Are you looking to a relationship to define you, give you purpose, or fulfill you? If so, that relationship could be an idol in your life. If all your thoughts, energy, and emotions are spent on your relationship, it’s possible that you’re giving that relationship too much room in your life.

So today, truthfully evaluate your life. Is God the one giving you your purpose and meaning? Or have you let relationships or something else do that instead. Don’t beat yourself up if you need to make an adjustment. Simply go to God and adjust your course to let Him be that in your life instead of someone else.

You probably know what to do to be healthy. You know that you should exercise, eat good things, and drink lots of water. When you do these things, your body stays healthy. God not only wants your body to be healthy, He also wants your mind and spirit to be healthy as well.

How do you keep your mind healthy? One way you can do that is to begin to have healthy relationships.

When it comes to relationships, God’s goal is that you’re whole. He cares about all of you, your spirit, soul, and your body. See what He says in this verse.

Stay away from every kind of evil. Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. – 1 Thessalonians 5:22-23 (NLT)

God wants you to be healthy in every way, not just in your body. Why? Because He loves you that much. He’s not giving guidelines in your relationships to keep you from having fun or from enjoying something. Instead, it’s to keep your body, spirit, and soul whole.

Over the next few days, we’re going to talk about relationships. We’re not discussing this topic to make you feel bad, or feel like there’s a bunch of rules you have to follow. Instead, we want to share God’s word with you in the hope that you will choose to pursue relationships that keep your spirit, soul, and body healthy.