The bottom line is those who have money make sure they put rules in place to ensure they don’t lose it. Those who work for them will be screwed one way or another. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that many who paid all their lives in preparation for their retirement will be destitute when they arrive at the age for it.

The veneer of righteousness has disappeared from the public marketplace.

Wow, thank you for the share. Reading previous comments, It’s funny how much you can learn from someone else; indeed all our struggles are common. I’d like some advice on something that’s been a little heavy on heart for a little while now.

I’ve been a baptised disciple for abot 10 years, since the end of high school and one of my resolutions then was not to date anyone I didn’t have pure intentions for as new, baby Christian. Coupled with that, I was a very ambitious young lady and had my sights on various career goals and all sorts of things; Love, though very romaticized in many of my favourite films, was very last on my list. Until I started working.

I met various individuals and not all of them God-minded unfortunately, who would seek to sweep me off my feet. However for fear of choosing the wrong one or even worse, yoking myself with someone who wasn’t a Christian, I fought my own worldly desires to keep them at bay. But now, some years later, my heart has discovered this thing called “love” and I don’t have enough distractions to disregard it and ignore it anymore. It’s like I went from a 0% romantic disposition to about 90% love crazy! I’m so aware of my being as a female, I’m aware of my charm, I’m discovering my beauty and I’m aware of how men react to everything and I feel like I’m fighting a loosing battle because I keep trying to hold out, but for what? I think I believe in God’s promises and even the promise in this verse, but being of so little faith, sometimes it feels like it’s not gonna happen. Met a beautiful prince but he was set apart for someone else – got married, met another nice God-fearing guy who was on a kind of mission trip, but he didn’t yet have all the things in place that Adam had as you mentioned- he then went back to the country of his origin. Then I grew to like another Christian brother but we are from very different cultural backgrounds and I suspect he fears that it’s not even worth a try, even if he might truly like me.

Wow, I think I sound very ungrateful and not very faithful which would somewhat true as my faith needs some strengthening at the moment. I guess I don’t know how to “starve” my love that’s already been aroused; for me, that could mean another 5 years of singlehood…! Sex is not the end all or be all of everything but love, finding another soul with which you can share life with, just the passion of love, almost comparable to God’s deep love for us, wow, that is something absolutely worth seeking I think:)

Jesus said something in John 8 to the Scribes and Pharisees, “You diligently search the scriptures, thinking that in them you will find truth, but they are the very scriptures which testify of me.”

We won’t hear or understand God’s voice until we know it through the eyes, ears and mouth of Jesus.

Good thought today, Susan.

So what was the sin exactly, because I don’t see one in the scenario you presented? My point of view of is that you date to see if you are compatible for marriage. You don’t state your age but I’m assuming you’re of a age that is ready to date. If that’s the case, then courting a girl is reasonable. Take your time, talk to her, go out together, introduce her to your friends and your family and see how she interacts. Have her do the same for you. Do you share similar interests, have common goals and visions for your life? Are you of the same faith, which is critical. You’ll never know if she is the one without taking the time to know her. Intimacy takes on all types of forms. Some are good and healthy as the ones mentioned above and some are not as in leaping into sex way too soon. So no! You aren’t condemned to living alone!

Should you go back to her? Ask yourself, was it recreational or was it to see if she is compatible and suitable for marriage? Again, you don’t state how old you are so it’s hard to know if you are ready for marriage or not. When we read Genesis, the word tells us that God gave Adam 5 things before he gave him a wife.

He breathed life into his nostrils. This indicates a strong and powerful relationship between God and Adam. Adam understood who God was in his life.

He put Adam in the garden giving him a place to live that was his own. Adam was ready to be out on his own, apart but not separated from his father.

He gave Adam work to do. Adam had a job and was able to support himself and keep his home.

He gave Adam rules to live by. God told Adam that he could eat from any tree of the garden except one and Adam understood authority.

Finally, God had Adam name the animals and within his own heart determine that things were paired up but he wasn’t. Adam developed a need and desire for a wife.

Until these things are in place for you, then it may be dating for recreational purposes rather than marriage purpose. Only you know the answers to these questions.

Third, you ask if God will bring you a wife or will you have to look for one? Honestly, I’ve seen it both ways. I’ve seen God place a woman in a church in a season where a man discovered his need for wife. Other times I’ve seen a couple meet, and after a time of courting find that they are compatible. You didn’t cross yourself off the list of marriage because you were casual about dating once. God is way more forgiving that that!

Also, that word lust gets a bad rap. The word lust means to look upon a woman with intent to take as one’s own. During the courting process you will eventually lust. The care you’ll have to take is to make sure she is a long-term fit for your life. See, love will enter into your lives about 30% of the time. The other 70% of the time, there will be bills, career, common vision, household chores, family, friends and everything else life has to hand you. Make sure you choose someone who is going to walk these things out with you because love won’t be enough in these times. We love God with our whole heart but when temptation comes. it’s not the love that keeps us straight it’s the commitment.

Where Jesus said the sin of lust was in that scripture, that is so misquoted so often, is that if you read it in the original text it says, “If you look upon a married woman with lust(intent to take as your own) you have already committed adultery in your heart.” Well of course you have sinned since that woman is not for you, as she is taken already.

So break free from the condemnation you feel. If you liked the girl, and she liked you, and the parameters of faith and family match and your season to awaken love is there, meaning God has prepared you for marriage, then go and reintroduce yourself with a right heart and see where God leads. If not, then wait for that season and don’t awaken what you won’t be able to put back to sleep and miss the will of God.