Relationships are tough. Dealing with other people isn’t easy. And when it comes to dating, its even harder. Dating can get rocky sometimes. You might not do the right thing or say the right thing. The person you’re in a relationship with might not do the right things either. So what do you do when things in a relationship get a little rough?
The answer to this reminds me of a time I was training to go on a missions trip. Our team had training for an entire week before we went. We wanted to be close as a team and be ready to minister to the people on the trip. Two days of training were set aside for us to do a ropes course.
If you’ve never done a ropes course, it can be a bit challenging at times. We had to climb rock walls, jump off a 30 foot pole, and compete in several obstacle courses.
One of the most monumental things we did was climb up a 100 foot climbing wall, and then zipline from the top of the tower down to the bottom of a steep hill. When I was standing at the top of the climbing tower looking down, there was nothing more I wanted to do than to just stay there and cling to the safety of the top of the tower. However, I couldn’t do that. I had to let go of the tower to zipline down to the field below.
Its a simple concept really, and its this: you can’t hold on to two things at once. I couldn’t hold onto the tower at the top and also zipline to the bottom of the hill. If I would have tried, I could have probably broken my arm or hurt myself in some way.
This is true too in our dating relationships. It is easy for us to let go of God so that we can gain a person in a relationship. We let go of God’s word and begin to put more faith in our feelings and what the person we’re dating is telling us.
This is a dangerous place to be. When you let go of God, you’re setting yourself up for heartbreak and failure. However, the opposite is true too. When you hold onto God and put him first in your relationships, success is sure to follow.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. – Matthew 6:33 (HSCB)
What are you holding on to in terms of relationships? Are you holding on to God and trusting Him in your relationships? Or are you holding on to your boyfriend or girlfriend? Are you allowing them to dictate things?
Take a close look at your life. Choose to make any adjustments that are needed in your relationship so that you’re holding on to God and not anything else. Its a simple truth, you can’t hold onto two things at the same time.