It's VBS at our church this week. That's "churchspeak" for "Vacation Bible School" - a fun, crazy, hectic, glorious 5 days where kids get to hear the incredible Good News of God's love.
It is my privilege to get the chance to hang out with middle schoolers.
This has to be the greatest age.
A cataclysmic mix of emotions and energies and enigma.
Tonight I am going to share with them a really really cool bit of dating advice that I found in Proverbs.
If you happen to read this and then run into some 6th-8th grade girls from Watkinsville, don't spoil my lesson. I'm looking forward to being the one to give them this tip.
Here it is:
Proverbs 4:26 says - Watch the path of your feet And all your ways will be established
So what does that have to do with dating????
Well, I came upon this verse while preparing to teach on Proverbs 4:23 - Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.
Such a fabulous verse. Underscoring the importance of what goes on in our heart - because that is the source of all that happens in our life.
Then the next four verses that tell us how to guard our hearts
Put away from you a deceitful mouth
And put devious speech far from you.
Let your eyes look directly ahead
And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.
Watch the path of your feet
And all your ways will be established.
Do not turn to the right nor to the left;
Turn your foot from evil.
We take care of our hearts (and therefore our very lives) by being careful about what comes out of our mouths, what our eyes focus on, and where our feet go.
Life-altering. Truly.
Every single verse is a post of its own.
But what I uncovered in verse 26 is something I'd never seen before.
Truly, truly God's Word is living and active!
Watch the path of your feet....and all your ways will be established -
The verse was originally written in Hebrew. And the word for "ways" is the word "derek". It means course of life, actions, behaviors. But it is specifically used for ....
Dating!
Seriously!
Ponder what that means for a minute.
Where we go (places, people, activities) determines the course of our dating life.
Probably 99.99% of the time, the person we marry is someone we've dated.
And the person we've dated is someone we've met in places we've been.
So, I plan to ask those middle school gals tonight - what kind of husband do you dream about?
A man that cherishes you? Values your mind and your heart? Protects you - physically and emotionally? Defends your honor? Sees you as a treasured life partner? Sacrifices his own comfort and desires for your good? Loves you unconditionally and completely...like Jesus does the Church?
Then you need to take care that your feet don't go to places where those kind of men don't hang out.
And spend your time where those kind of husbands are being groomed.
And then be the kind of woman
that the kind of man you dream about
would want to love.
It is my privilege to get the chance to hang out with middle schoolers.
This has to be the greatest age.
A cataclysmic mix of emotions and energies and enigma.
Tonight I am going to share with them a really really cool bit of dating advice that I found in Proverbs.
If you happen to read this and then run into some 6th-8th grade girls from Watkinsville, don't spoil my lesson. I'm looking forward to being the one to give them this tip.
Here it is:
Proverbs 4:26 says - Watch the path of your feet And all your ways will be established
So what does that have to do with dating????
Well, I came upon this verse while preparing to teach on Proverbs 4:23 - Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.
Such a fabulous verse. Underscoring the importance of what goes on in our heart - because that is the source of all that happens in our life.
Then the next four verses that tell us how to guard our hearts
Put away from you a deceitful mouth
And put devious speech far from you.
Let your eyes look directly ahead
And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.
Watch the path of your feet
And all your ways will be established.
Do not turn to the right nor to the left;
Turn your foot from evil.
We take care of our hearts (and therefore our very lives) by being careful about what comes out of our mouths, what our eyes focus on, and where our feet go.
Life-altering. Truly.
Every single verse is a post of its own.
But what I uncovered in verse 26 is something I'd never seen before.
Truly, truly God's Word is living and active!
Watch the path of your feet....and all your ways will be established -
The verse was originally written in Hebrew. And the word for "ways" is the word "derek". It means course of life, actions, behaviors. But it is specifically used for ....
Dating!
Seriously!
Ponder what that means for a minute.
Where we go (places, people, activities) determines the course of our dating life.
Probably 99.99% of the time, the person we marry is someone we've dated.
And the person we've dated is someone we've met in places we've been.
So, I plan to ask those middle school gals tonight - what kind of husband do you dream about?
A man that cherishes you? Values your mind and your heart? Protects you - physically and emotionally? Defends your honor? Sees you as a treasured life partner? Sacrifices his own comfort and desires for your good? Loves you unconditionally and completely...like Jesus does the Church?
Then you need to take care that your feet don't go to places where those kind of men don't hang out.
And spend your time where those kind of husbands are being groomed.
And then be the kind of woman
that the kind of man you dream about
would want to love.