Checking the Religion Box Does Not Guarantee Heaven

Borrowing Principles of the Christian Faith While Leaving the Christian God Behind

The Gospel Covers Important Themes of Justice & Forgiven for Our Sin

Jesus was the metaphorical lamb set aside to pay for the sins of mankind.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. – Matthew 16:24 (NLT)

Hell Was Not Made for Man

Single but Not Forgotten: A Message for the Faithful

What many do not often discuss is the pain that accompanies surrendering to Christ in obedience. Pain and difficult circumstances are often alluded to as something that is the result of disobedience to God instead.

While pain can be experienced in both scenarios, I want to encourage those who have been obedient or who have recommitted themselves to obedience. There will be an end to a season of pain. I was recently encouraged while reading about Hannah in the Bible.

Rest Vs. Pain

She had gone through many years of pain. Scripture references that year after year, Hannah was put down by her sister-wife, Peninah. This occurred when they were traveling to Shiloh to worship the Lord. Shiloh means a place of rest.

Something that should have been rest for Hannah and her family had become a place of constant distress. So much so, that she found it difficult to rest in the favor of her husband, Elkanah, who loved her greatly.

He shows Hannah favor. As a response to Hannah’s discontent for his favor, He says, “Am I not better to you than 10 sons?” I’m sure she appreciated his favor, but Hannah had a war going on inside of her that no one could do anything about but God.

She lacked peace and contentment as she had to not only go childless, but she had to fight all of the things that came with being childless for a married woman. This included the uninvited ridicule of others who did not understand what God was doing.

The Fight to Continue Believing While in Pain

Things she may have had to fight could have been inadequacy, lack of confidence, confusion, unworthiness, and the insults of others who did not understand that her womb was not closed because she’d done something wrong, but because God himself had closed her womb.

She was trapped in a waiting room that was completely out of her control. On top of that, she had to deal with being misunderstood and maybe even misunderstanding herself at times.

How many single individuals had to deal with similar circumstances of people misunderstanding them, falsely accusing them of wrongdoing, feelings of unworthiness, and being viewed as someone to blame instead of someone to love? When the entire time, God could be requiring singleness out of the single believer for his purpose, like Hannah.

All of this, while the single individual is holding on and trying to work out his/her own soul’s salvation with fear and trembling, as the Bible says. The consistent pressure of it all can lead to coldness, hardness of heart, apathy, or the inability to feel any longer.

Comparision of Hannah’s Pain to that of Single Christians

It can lead to pushing away the very thing we may really want as singles, love. Like Hannah, in a sense, pushed away Elkanah’s kindness for the hope of relief from the burden she’d carried for so long.

Text outside of the Bible shows Hannah as the initial preferred wife, noting that, in Jewish culture, often when the initial wife cannot produce a child, a second wife is brought in to give the husband children. Peninah may have been jealous of Hannah for being the favored wife. As a result, she vexed Hannah, not realizing that Hannah is human too and facing her own battles.

Similarly, those who are single and walking in submission to Christ experience private battles that others do not see. While yes, we are winning on the outside—needs supplied, boundaries intact, which garner self-respect—we still face painful challenges such as loneliness, wanting to be held, touched, intimate, seen, known, and valued for our full selves and not simply a temporary thrill. Many grow weary in well-doing or cold with unbelief for waiting so long with no hope of something different in sight.

It’s all a really painful place to endure. Holding out for the above desire looks like, “what’s wrong with her, or there’s got to be some type of issue.” Holding out for hope yet receiving consistent disappointment all leads to a unique experience of pain that God is calling to an end.

A Change of Countenance for Those Who’d Been in Pain

In prayer, the scripture was highlighted that says, “He perfects the things that concern me.” Perfect in this scripture means to complete. I believe that much of what God has used the pain and discomfort in our lives for has been accomplished. Therefore, like Hannah, our pain is coming to an end.

Scripture says Hannah’s sad countenance was resolved prior to her promise:

And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad. – 1 Samuel 1:18 (KJV)

I am believing God for myself and for many other single believers who have been obeying God and hanging in there through the difficulty, so that our countenance will no longer be sad. I believe that our previous sadness has come to an end, and we will, like Hannah, experience God’s promise and joy within our lives.

Cain was the firstborn, man-child, of Adam and Eve. His mother named him Cain. When born, she said, she’d received a male child of the Lord. She considered him a blessing. However, the lack of emotional maturity and submission to the Lord resulted in Cain’s life turning into a curse instead of a blessing.

Cain’s First Mistake Was His Failure to Take Personal Responsibility

Cain had submitted an offering to the Lord. So did his brother, Abel. However, Abel’s offering came from the first fruits of his flock. This was a commandment God would require later on. Further, by Abel walking in a commandment of the Lord before it had been communicated as such is significant of an intimate relationship with the Lord. Or, in short, someone who has a heart after God. This is what God requires for our hearts to be after him and for us to put him first above ourselves.

Because Abel’s gift was accepted by God and shown honor, and Cain’s was not. Cain saw Abel as the problem, comparing himself to him. This issue of projecting his personal issue onto Abel distracted him from what was really the issue—his failure to take personal responsibility.

It was not Abel’s fault that Cain failed to take his offering from the first-fruits or to cultivate for himself a heart after God. His experience was a direct result of his failure to take personal responsibility. Personal responsibility is one of the first steps to healing or resolve.

God provided an opportunity for Cain to use his dilemma as a tool to grow, which would have avoided the horrid escalation. Due to Cain’s pride, he rejected the opportunity.

The Lord, noticing the brewing of some unhealthy emotions that would not be stewarded properly, sought to derail the direction Cain was heading. Cain became very angry and his face gloomy, to which God responded, asking, “Why are you so angry? And why is your face gloomy? If you do well, will your face not be cheerful?”

There was something Cain had to do. However, his pride and self-centeredness prohibited him from seeing his part in all of this. In his mind, he was a victim. He was not being treated right, and he had nothing to do with it. Because he was not seeing himself properly, but as rejected, like many, he used pride as a cover to keep him from opening up to God more. He could have continued in dialogue with the Lord, asking what he should do to overcome this anger.

God Warned Cain

Sin is knocking at your door desiring you, but you must master it (NASB). The KJV says thou shalt rule over it. This speaks to having dominion over sin. Remember, God made mankind in His image, giving us dominion over all things. This includes dominion over sin and our emotions.

We don’t have to allow the emotion of anger to be used as a doorway to sin. Scripture is as plain as day, warning us to be angry yet not to sin. The word wroth was used in the KJV. When translated into the original Greek language, it means the following:

“to be hot, furious, burn, become angry, be kindled. To be angry with, be incensed. To burn, kindle, to heat oneself in vexation,” – Strong-Lite Dictionary.

This is why we must maintain a level of self-control while angry, because it can get to the point where we no longer think critically. In a sense, Cain became drunk with anger, no longer making a sober decision. The Bible warns that we are to be sober and vigilant because Satan is seeking an occasion to steal, kill, and destroy. Much like what occurred with Cain.

Productive Anger Vs. Non-Productive Anger

Anger isn’t a bad emotion in of itself. It’s like an alarm letting us know something is setting us off. We have to be self-aware and humble enough to be honest about what it is and to address it in a productive manner rather than an unproductive manner.

Productive anger results in resolving issues or conflicts, vs. non-productive anger that leads to escalating issues or conflicts. Productive anger is self-reflective, leading to responsibility or healthy mobilization. While unproductive anger blames others and deflects away from the real issue, similar to Cain.

We Have to Make a Choice to Walk in Self-Control, a Fruit of the Holy Spirit

One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is self-control. Self-control is something that everyone will need to grow into when it comes to managing their emotions in a healthy way. These uncomfortable situations, like what Cain experienced, are opportunities for us, not life happening against us. However, it takes humility to realize that.

God let him know it was possible to have dominion over his emotions and even how his gift is perceived by God, but it is a choice. It was a choice of his to view himself as a victim; thus, absolving himself of any responsibility to do better. Or, seeing himself as a man, made in God’s image and capable of taking the same responsibility that Abel had chosen to take. Thus, getting the same result.

Some people, like Cain, will see others taking responsibility and doing what they are supposed to do as if others are getting a good result because they are privileged instead of realizing the other person simply did the work.

Abel’s response was not due to being favored by God over Cain. It was a result of his pleasing God and submitting to Christ along the way. Our obedience to God will produce different results than those who are disobedient and unwilling to submit. I’ve found that when a person’s mind is so skewed like Cain’s was to absolve himself of all personal responsibility and to blame Abel for taking responsibility, a person, like Cain, becomes dangerous to remain around.

There is nothing an Abel-type of person can do to convince him differently. Abel’s best bet to have remained alive would have been to completely separate himself from Cain.

Our Responsibility to Protect Ourselves from Unstable People

There was no getting through to the hot, angry, overly excited Cain. He’d created his own problem and set out to punish his own blood for it. His ultimate judgment was to be separated from his family unit by God. However, he was to remain alive as a reminder of the guilt from what he’d done to his brother.

I would argue that the end judgment that God gave him to isolate him completely from his family should have taken place before the murder. We have a responsibility when people who are connected to us exhibit all of the above signs of Cain. When family, friends, or associates fail to take responsibility for their own actions and, in anger and lack of self-control, set out to blame others, we should separate from them. Why? Because, at that point, things can only escalate. I don’t believe God wanted Adam, Eve, and Cain to experience the loss of life. However, this was the first family on Earth. They had no other examples like we do.

We can learn from their story not to allow such behavior to go on. It’s really similar to domestic violence cases where a woman experiences these things from her partner or vice versa. Eventually, she realizes she needs a plan to completely separate herself to survive. The choice of others failing to take personal responsibility should not result in our not taking responsibility to protect ourselves. We are still valuAbel and worthy of living our full lives despite any abuse from someone like Cain.

Cain probably showed some sort of signs to Abel and his family that he was jealous of his brother Abel. However, he still had intimate access to Abel. We have a responsibility to act accordingly when people show their instability to protect ourselves and our relationship with God.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. – Proverbs 4:23

Guarding Our Hearts from Irresponsible People

If nothing else, but to guard our hearts from becoming bitter due to the insults of those like Cain. We have to continue to guard our hearts to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit continually in our lives. That fruit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, self-control, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law, meaning we need to continue in these without boundaries.

We can never have enough self-control, goodness, faithfulness, love, joy, peace, gentleness, and long-suffering. We can always use more. Don’t allow others and their irresponsibility to prevent you from growing in these. Take responsibility, set boundaries, and cut off anyone who is seeking to destroy this part of you at your core. Pray for them while separated that perhaps, God may change their heart.

A consistent theme women see in movies and through shared experiences is a girl kissing many frogs to get to her prince. Or a woman walking through hell with one man being, “strong” until she finally gets to the light at the end of the tunnel where she experiences love.

However, when it comes to abuse and total disregard for covenant sometimes that light at the end of the tunnel doesn’t come. It may even get darker. This is the reality of a scenario where both parties of a marriage or a relationship aren’t on the same page and aren’t trying to get on the same page.

Women Shouldering the Burden

So much responsibility is often placed on the woman to endure, suffer, go through, and be strong while she covers her man and her man leaves her uncovered. This type of experience usually results in resentment and brokenness.

Is this what God requires of women? Does he want us broken until a man gets an epiphany that we are worthy of love and protection? These are some of the questions that naturally come up when listening to the story of the Steeles.

A recent interview with a husband-and-wife couple on the Dear Future Wifey show highlighted a woman who’d experienced years of cheating by her husband as they’d married young. He was immature and in the streets in their marriage back then.

The wife considered leaving her husband. However, as she was headed for the door, she felt that she should stay. That night, she shared she’d had a dream about her husband being a preacher. From then on, she began to submit to God allowing him to minister to her as she embraced her worth.

Her view of her husband became that of a man who needed help and a savior. The compassion she grew towards him took up space where bitterness and resentment would have naturally lied. Mrs. Steele even went to the point of ironing her husband’s clothing for him before he would go to step outside of their marriage.

God Graced Mrs. Steele for her Decision to Stay

Mrs. Steele shared, “God had graced her for this experience.” Does God providing grace for an experience mean we should stay within an experience? I am going to say no. It means that God is simply honoring our choice. Scripture is clear in this scenario that each party in the marriage covenant has a choice.

“To the rest, I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him.  For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.”

“But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. “

“How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?” – 1 Corinthians 7:12-16

God Isn’t Calling Us to Bondage

We see the scriptures laying out the scenario. If the unbelieving spouse wants to stay with the believing spouse—don’t leave. However, if the unbelieving spouse departs, let him/her go. God isn’t calling us to bondage but peace. God could have saved Mr. Steele in Mrs. Steele’s absence. Her staying was not a requirement for his healing. It was her choice. She had the full freedom to leave according to scripture. Mr. Steele had left their marriage several times stepping out as well as communicating he did not want to be with her. Further, scripture warns us not to associate with abusive people.

But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, (abuser) or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person. – 1 Corinthians 5:22

Because she chose to stay, God used her as an example to her husband helping to foster his reconciliation with the Lord:

Wives, in the same way, submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, – 1 Peter 3:1

God’s empowerment to Mrs. Steele allowed her behavior to foster the conviction power of God within Mr. Steele. Submission to the Holy Spirit’s leading is the only way this can be done when someone chooses to stay.

Finally, the above scripture stated the uncertainty involved in knowing if the believing spouse will save the unbelieving spouse or not. In other words, there is an opportunity when a believer is married to an unbeliever for the unbeliever to become a recipient of the believer’s walk through the process of sanctification.

Sanctification means a washing away of the old way and an adoption of the new way—the way of holiness. Conviction is exercised in the unbelieving spouse due to the actions of the believing spouse. That conviction drives the unbelieving spouse to the process of sanctification and repentance.

The scriptures simply appear to lay out a template for married believers to make their own decisions.

Mrs. Steele was simply exercising her choice like so many married women and men who have taken the route of choosing to stay with their spouse. It appears God simply honored Mrs. Steele’s choice giving her the grace and strength to love her partner through the hurt. The result of their process in marriage led to her husband’s sanctification.

A Choice to Stay Motivated by Dysfunction and Not Faith

Many married couples have taken this route including the Mary Mary girls, Tina and Erica. It is simply a choice. In light of these positive testimonies and outcomes for those who chose to stay, those who choose to protect their peace in leaving aren’t condemned either. There is grace for their journey too.

Mrs. Steele’s choice to stay was motivated by an unhealthy experience from her childhood not just by faith. She was in an unhealthy space and when we are in unhealthy spaces we put up with unhealthy things reaping the consequences.

Hence, why it’s so important to get into a healthy place prior to choosing a partner. However, the scriptures above and the testimony deal with people who weren’t saved or healthy at first. Later, one party got saved.

In that place, do we have to put up with abuse as women in expectation to be loved? The answer is no. Just because someone’s story had a positive ending from trauma and abuse to genuine love and care—that doesn’t mean that if we practice the same—we will have the same result.

Remember it is a choice. What we did not see was the full-on process. We did not see the dire strain their process required. Did Mrs. Steele no longer feel drawn to her husband because of the lack of safety of his actions? Did she ever battle bitterness? Was she still sexually active with him while he was stepping out? How did she protect herself if she was? These are all very serious issues that can arise from such a serious situation.

While their story was told to appear beautiful, it was a messy situation that required wisdom, a solid support system, and professional help to navigate through to result in a healthy outcome. We know the Lord is the wonderful counselor—but what did that look like? What lessons were learned that can be passed down to others?

While I honor and respect marriage and Mrs. Steele’s testimony—the idea that women need to build a man and stick out through thick and then of abuse is dangerous. It’s also prideful. Many women have gone through unnecessary hardship trying to take a man and build him into a man of integrity.

Showing a man you can put up with all of the abuse he spits out may or may not cause him to have a change of heart because, in the end, men need to get it for themselves to change.

God doesn’t encourage women to go around looking for men to build into healthy men. Scripture encourages single women to practice discernment. However, if you find yourself in that situation, the earlier scriptures provide a template.

Mrs. Steele commented in response to a question from Latteras that encouraged women to seek to build a man up or else that’s why they are single. While she did not intend her statement to be irresponsible, it was.

Statements like that show a lack of being in touch with what is going on in the world of singleness and dating. She attempted to clean up her statement by stating the usual stereotypes that are forced on Black women and single women.

Those stereotypes say that women want a man who is 6 feet tall and makes 6 figures. However, the question Laterras asked was not about that.

It showed a hint of pride for what the Lord empowered her to do as if she did it on her own. The truth is we cannot rely on our own strength, wisdom, or pride. We have to rely on Christ. God uses wisdom to protect his single daughters and sons.

There are many people who are single simply because they are being protected by God. Those people have realized their childhood traumas and decided to work through them with God’s help. They’ve chosen to avoid making relationship choices based on those traumas. Instead, they walk in health and wholeness and only entertain others who are doing the same.

That is God’s standard. That is God’s best. Choosing to obey God and walk with him protects us from some things. We don’t have to journey through the hell of relationships to get to a heavenly one. We want every marriage and relationship to work out so we rejoice at testimonies like the Steeles knowing it doesn’t have to be our own. Our stories can be different and that is okay.

To sharpen your discernment in singleness and dating visit my Payhip store for courses and books: Click here

Click below to watch the discussion after the discussion on Latteras’ Instagram:

 

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A common question that circles through singles’ groups is, if you wait until marriage, how do you know the sex will be good? The answer is simple: It depends on what you are building with your marriage partner.

Selfishness Guarantees Bad Sex

If your marriage is based on selfishness and simply pleasing you, the sex may be bad. However, if both parties come to the marriage ready to serve one another, the marriage bed will be great.

It may not start great as sex with someone new is a process. Each person brings their history, experience, or lack thereof to the marriage bed. This is where those involved have to have something more than just physical attraction tying them to the person they’ve picked.

Patience, Communication & Humility Will Help Guarantee a Strong Marriage & Sex Life

Things like patience, communication, humility, and a willingness to serve the other while denying oneself, will create a safe place of vulnerability and openness. This will bond the couple together and create a launching pad for further sexual exploration and growth.

This is what happened in Yvette and Glen Henry’s experience. Yvette was a virgin at the time of their marriage while Glen had recommitted himself to abstinence for some years. He was determined to protect his wife through her lack of experience.  Unwilling for her to be compared to previous partners or to feel unworthy; He beautifully took his concerns to God about her lack of experience and shyness around the topic of sex.

Through Glen’s love and care for Yvette, she had a place of safety to explore learning more about her own body and how to please her husband and be pleased at the same time as a wife. Yvette brought up the point that many women do not know that it’s okay for them to experience pleasure within a marriage.

Taking Responsibility for Our Experiences Bought to the Marriage Makes it Stronger Increasing the Sexual Intimacy as Well

Yvette took responsibility for her lack of experience and was provided a book to learn about her body and sex. After reading, she began to open up more to her husband and discuss it with him. Now, they experience a thriving sex life that has produced a beautiful family.

The stories of Glen, Yvette, Sarah, Abigail, and Daryl communicate the need for selflessness in marriage, patience, a willingness to deny ourselves to protect our partner and the marriage, and to take responsibility for healing, while learning and growing to protect our partner and our marriage.

As someone with limited experience myself, it means so much to see someone like Yvette thriving in a healthy relationship where she feels safe. Culture often teaches us that a lack of sexual experience or an extensive relationship history makes us ineligible for love. However, that’s a lie.

Limited Experience Does Not Guarantee Bad Sex

Inexperienced singles have just as much value and share the same body parts as the experienced. Therefore, sexual love isn’t guaranteed to be lacking in a marriage. Those with extensive sexual histories who have experienced molestation that led to promiscuity can also have a healthy thriving marriage as shown by Sarah’s testimony in the video.

Christ can restore each of us and heal us from all trauma no matter the background.
See the entire interview below:

In our love-starved society, people are more vulnerable to abusive relationships. However, it’s better not to have a relationship than an abusive one. Abusive relationships aren’t limited to romantic but can be a neighbor, friend, or family member. Below are some signs you are dealing with an abuser and how to break away.

Disregards Your Voice

Often, those who are abusive toward others are insecure about themselves. Instead of taking responsibility for working through their insecurities; they project them onto others. This is seen by them putting others down who they may feel are better than them. One of the ways abusers do this is through disregarding the voice of the one they are abusing. This may seem small at first, but a consistent allowance of disregard from an abuser will cause the abused to second-guess him/herself. This brings the abused into a place of insecurity if not stopped in time. It also creates a misery loves company type of relationship. Then, the abused person, who has become insecure through abuse, becomes prime game to be controlled by the abuser.

Tries to Control You and Who You Spend Time With

The insecure abuser, in a perverted sense, makes the one s/he is abusing an accomplishment of his/hers. If the abused can be controlled by the abuser—the abuser may see this as an accomplishment. Because a healthy support system is crucial to remaining free from abusive relationships—the abuser may discount relationships of the abused that bring balance and safety. The abuser may seek to isolate the abused from these healthy relationships and voices. Thus, placing his/her voice above any other voice in the life of the abused. The real flex for an abuser would be to take responsibility for his/her insecurities and work toward a path of true healing and accountability.

Seeks to Discredit You Making You Second Guess Yourself

Without the support of a healthy support system—there is no sounding board to remind the abused of his/her worth. A sense of healthy independence may begin to dissolve while the abused becomes more dependent on the approval of the abuser. Pay attention if someone encourages you to go against your boundaries and values and makes you second guess yourself. An abused person was a whole person before they met an abuser. However, the abuser seeks to make the whole person doubt his/herself. The abuser seeks to fragment how the abused person sees themselves making him/her vulnerable to seek out the approval of the abuser.

You’ll Need These Three Things to Break Free

To remain free from an abuser, you’ll need healthy boundaries, a commitment to loving yourself, and a strong support system. Healthy boundaries remind us of our worth. They keep bad behavior out of our intimate space and keep us reserved to give and receive in our healthy network of relationships whether family, friends, co-workers, or a romantic partner.

Boundaries are useful in preventing chaos as well. Chaos is a natural result of those who refuse to take accountability in their own lives. They often spill their chaos onto others, but our healthy boundaries do not allow this. We see God displaying boundaries in scripture in the book of Genesis. He separated the day from night and placed boundaries around the land and the seas.

This avoids chaos and allows each part of creation to operate as intended. This is what boundaries do for us. They allow us to operate as God intended. Never be ashamed to maintain healthy boundaries. People will be offended by our boundaries at times, but our boundaries aren’t for others as much as they are for us.

The Commitment to Love Ourselves

Remaining committed to loving ourselves is also a Biblical characteristic. It’s part of the first commandment, in scripture, which says to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength and the second is to love our neighbor(s) as ourselves.

Thus, healthy self-love starts with loving God and in doing so, we learn to love ourselves. This love spills out to others. Never allow anyone to interrupt this process in your life because they desire to abuse you. Keep loving God, you, and others.

A Strong Support System

Finally, you’ll need a strong support system. These are genuine people who get it. Those who get it are taking accountability within their own lives. They are doing the work daily to submit to Christ and grow through their insecurities and challenges.

They aren’t projecting the responsibility to work through their insecurities onto others. Therefore, they can genuinely love others as they love and care for themselves. These are the ones who will look out for you, and remind you of your value and what you do not have to put up with. Your support system will remind you of your identity in Christ. You are God’s son or daughter, carefully cared for and sought out by God.

He guides you with his eye and his loving grace. The energy you need to maintain your boundaries and to pray for those who desire to abuse you will well up within and you will be good.

The Role of the Holy Spirit in Avoiding an Abuser

Finally, let’s not forget the role of the Holy Spirit in this. As we meet people, the Holy Spirit will give us cues within our spirit. God often communicates to us in our spirit. That thought or feeling that something isn’t right. Or, the idea that says, “That seems like it could be abusive.” These thoughts and cues may be coming from the Holy Spirit for us to begin warning us to second-guess who we are allowing access to us.

The Bible says in the book of Proverbs: He that separates himself seeks his own way. This is one of the signs of an abusive person. They may be isolated from the accountability of others. They are aware of laws but do not respect them enough to submit to them. An abuser becomes a law to him/herself. Be aware. This is dangerous. It is also a characteristic of Satan, who did not want to submit himself to God but instead wanted to become like God.

Satan wanted the authority of God without the character of God. That can only lead to chaos. Look at how bad our world has become since Satan has been kicked down from heaven into earth. He’s been using his limited authority to deceive men and women into destroying themselves, just like an abuser. We don’t want this ya’ll.

A Girl Named Priscilla and a guy named Mark

Let’s say a girl named Priscilla met a guy named Mark. Priscilla wants to have at least one child. Mark has just gotten his last adult child out of the house and is done. Priscilla discovers this about Mark being done on date 2. She puts him in the friend zone because it’s a non-negotiable for her.

However, Mark encourages Priscilla to take him out of the friend zone by seeking to get physical in a way not characteristic of friends but more so lovers. Priscilla has a decision to make. Will she stick to the boundary of friendship she’d set? Or, will she allow herself to be wooed into friends with benefits?

We Have to Know Where We Stand With Our Boundaries to Enforce Them

This type of scenario points out the importance of knowing where we stand with our boundaries and simply sticking to them. Sticking to our boundaries helps us to produce the outcome we desire. In Priscilla’s case, she wants a committed relationship that leads to marriage with someone who also wants to have at least one child. She also wants to remain abstinent until marriage.

Also, sticking to our boundaries is important because it shows others how to treat us. Sure, some will not understand and may try to manipulate us or make us feel bad for having boundaries. Let that be their problem and not ours.

Our job is to take accountability for our actions and not the actions of others.

Our job is to take accountability for our actions and not the actions of others. It will be uncomfortable, but in the end, we keep our self-respect and remain in position for God’s will in our lives. Let’s take Joseph for example. He’d been faced with an opportunity contrary to what he desired. Potiphar’s wife thought he was sexy and tried to seduce him.

At that point, Joseph took accountability. Despite Potiphar’s wife’s actions, Joseph chooses to run for himself. He was not going to settle for a side relationship when God had a whole wife for him. Joseph knew he wasn’t no side-piece and he did not allow Potiphar’s wife to treat him as such.

Our Boundaries Protect our Identity

Sidenote: our boundaries protect our identity and how we see and value ourselves. This should be decided between us and God, not people in general. People, in general, either come up to God’s standard or our boundary keeps them at a distance until they rise to the standard.

Of course, Joseph’s boundary was uncomfortable. Although he did what was right, he went to prison anyway. All of this was a part of the journey God had him on to promote him as governor in Egypt. While we are on our path to dating, living life, and meeting others, we too, will be faced with opportunities that will test our boundaries.

Expect Others to Test Your Boundaries to See if We’re Real or Not

People will want to know if s/he is real about what s/he says s/he believes. People will test us in these dating streets. It’s up to us to take accountability and hold our standards. When dating, our boundaries and non-negotiables show us when to walk away. When others seek to push our clearly communicated boundaries, it shows us to avoid them romantically.

What if Priscilla had allowed herself to go there with Mark? Not only would she be caught up in a soul tie with someone who doesn’t want what she wants. She would also have been enabling Mark’s behavior which shows his lack of discipline. Whereas, God may have had Mark in a process to assist him in working through his lust—the lust would be that much harder to overcome because Priscilla and Mark would have added more wood to the fire. This scenario would leave both Mark and Pricilla stuck.

Whatever progress they’d made before in crucifying their flesh—they’d have to start all over again to put their flesh under subjection. Therefore, Priscilla should not only stick to her boundary of friendship but her boundary of holding off on sexual activity until she is married. This, in turn, shows Mark that if he desires to be in Priscilla’s life—he’s got to honor her boundaries.

Having boundaries is important for both men and women as shown in the story of Joseph.

Jezebel has nothing to do with lipstick and weave, but everything to do with the evil characteristics that embody the person of Jezebel. In the Bible, Jezebel was the daughter of Ethbaal, whose name means with Baal. Baal was a false god or demon.

Jezebel’s name means Baal exalts or Baal is husband to. She did not separate herself from the demonic agenda of her master in her dealings which makes her highly dangerous to link up with. God pronounced a judgment of death on her. That’s how seriously she needed to be stopped. Because she refused to yield to the standard of the Lord and made herself an adversary to God’s people—God set aside men of valor to take her out of this world.

Her consistent characteristics included manipulation, selfishness, lying, murder, and opposing God and his people.

We see a story in 1 Kings 21 where her husband Ahab wanted a field. He asked a gentleman named Naboth to give it to him, allow him to buy it, or replace it with another field. When Naboth refused, Ahab became sad and shared what happened with his wife.

Then, she thought out an evil plot to destroy Naboth. She sent two false witnesses to lie on Naboth causing him to be stoned. After he died, she commissioned Ahab to take possession of Naboth’s field. Just after this, God sent the prophet Elijah to Ahab to pronounce judgment saying that the dogs would lick up Ahab and Jezebel’s blood in the field.

The Judgement was not only pronounced on Jezebel but her Enabler, Ahab

Animals devouring a dead body is a form of disrespect. In essence, God was saying because Ahab and Jezebel were so disrespectful—he would allow them a disrespectful death where they would not even experience the honor of burial.

Ahab, though he did not complete the murder, was party to the disrespect of Jezebel because he enabled her actions by not correcting her and continuing to be in league with her. When we see someone operating out of the spirit of Jezebel which includes manipulation, lying, murder, and high disrespect, we ought to cut ourselves off from that person immediately.

God’s word warns us not to make a covenant or league with people so quickly because, in doing so, we can become a party to their sin and thus their judgment like Ahab.

Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. – 1 Timothy 5:22

People would create a covenant by shaking hands. Once, we are in a contract or covenant with someone we are bound to the contract and all that comes with it. God wants us to be careful of this. This is especially important for a young man seeking a wife or a young woman a husband. Both a man and a woman can embody the spirit of Jezebel. The spirit of Jezebel is highly narcissistic. It’s all about self. It’s the opposite of love which isn’t self-seeking but is often self-sacrificial. Think about Jesus and his love for us.

Look for the opposite of a woman who embodies the characteristics of Jezebel.

A genuine catch will want to protect their love interest and not use them. Not only their love interest, but someone who embodies the spirit of love will want to treat their neighbor as themselves. You’ll notice them treating everyone with kindness and love not just those they feel they can benefit from.

Remember God is love. We want someone who embraces God, not someone who opposes God. Many embrace God with their tongue yet reject him with their actions. This was also a mark of Jezebel. She used religion to destroy an innocent man, Naboth. She had him falsely accused of blasphemy which is a sin against God. Yet, she was the one sinning against God. The spirit of Jezebel strongly opposes those who are of God. Her goal is to uproot those planted by God. Naboth’s name means sown of God.

Jezebel’s use of her looks to deceive and manipulate

Jezebel is of her father, Satan as discussed at the beginning of the article. Her name represents a demonic spirit named Baal. We know Satan is the father of lies and the accuser of the brethren.  In the above story, Jezebel did both.

Have you ever seen a woman use her beauty to manipulate a man? That’s a mark of Jezebel. Have you seen women lie on a man falsely accusing him of sexual assault to get a financial settlement? That is a mark of Jezebel.  She doesn’t consider how her lies will affect him. She causes a death to her accuser’s reputation for her selfish gain just like Jezebel.

The best way for a young man to avoid the web of Jezebel is to learn to fear the Lord himself. Young men should learn to embody the characteristics that are opposite that of Jezebel. In doing so, they will repel a woman who operates according to the perverted culture of Jezebel. Young men must stand firm on their boundaries of shutting out any woman who models such low character.

The only way to deal with a woman like Jezebel is not to deal with her. An immediate stop must be put to Jezebel. This is why a death sentence was declared by God.

Cutting Jezebel off is a type of death toward Jezebel in our lives.

As believers, we do not have the authority to kill people. Yet, we do have the authority to set boundaries to cut off all contact with those who operate according to the spirit of Jezebel. Like Ahab, we only enable Jezebel by maintaining a relationship with her as if everything is normal. Jezebel isn’t normal but out to kill, steal, and destroy like her father Satan a.k.a. Baal.

We can pray for the person in our personal prayer time but keep our distance by keeping our boundaries. This will help us to maintain our peace and avoid all of the mess that comes with messy Jezebel.

What dating down looks like is a topic from my third book, “Patterns of the Heart: Discernment in Choosing a Potential Spouse.” Dating down is when you know someone isn’t an appropriate fit for you—yet you continue to date them anyway.

This signals an issue yet to be resolved within you. Self-awareness, which leads to personal responsibility, is key in this scenario.

“A person who is full refuses honey, but even bitter food tastes sweet to the hungry.” – Proverbs 27:7 (NLT)

The full person sees that he has a choice in whether or not to accept what comes along; the hungry person will accept anything, whether it’s savory or not. Even though he knows his choice may not be good for him, he sees it as a way to satisfy his hunger in the moment.

Take Personal Responsibility in Accessing Your Needs to Avoid Dating Down

What needs have we allowed to go unmet in healthy ways where we use dating down—an unhealthy coping mechanism to fill? Could there be lies within our minds that we are seeking to overcome? I loved Nona Jones’ book, “The Gift of Rejection.” It shared how there can be a talk track playing over and over in our head that we are trying to disprove or unconsciously live up to.

For Nona, it was her mother’s harsh words and actions of rejection. Her mom blamed her for getting sexually assaulted by her live-in boyfriend. She’d put Nona down making her feel unworthy. Due to this talk track playing in Nona’s mind—she’d found herself in a toxic relationship in college. The young man she dated disrespected her, would not allow her to speak much, and showed little to no concern for her well-being, and still Nona sought to please him to prove her worthiness unconsciously.

Dating Down as a Coping Mechanism

What is something that you may need to resolve within yourself—that you may be either consciously or unconsciously using a toxic relationship to prove? Have you believed the lie that you are unworthy of love due to consistent rejection and disappointment? Are you now ready to accept the scraps of what comes your way instead of standing on the business of who you truly are at the core and attracting someone based on that?

Don’t feel bad. We’ve all been there, dating down and ready to place ourselves on clearance for the one willing to buy. However, we cannot stay there. I remember being in a place of fear that I would lose all my guy friends.

The last guy friend I had began to put me down for my skin color before he left from being my friend. I tried to salvage the friendship and only correct him, but God would not allow him to continue to remain in my life. This former friend ended up blocking me because I disagreed with what he shared my outcome in life would be due to my skin color.

Allow God to Resolve Those Needs for You to Avoid Dating Down

When I look back at it—I can see that God was protecting me by allowing him to block me. God wanted me to depend on him—even without any close guy friends. God wanted me to know I should not be moved by fear but faith in him.

After this, God brought one of my guy cousins around more. He also brought my brothers and I closer together as a family. We’d been processing grief due to the loss in our family in unique ways that sometimes isolated us.

In this experience, I was able to see God providing for my inner need for safety, security, and belonging. Dr. Henry Cloud had confirmed in one of his books I was listening to at the time that when we are struggling with loneliness—it isn’t the time for dating. It’s a time when we need to reinforce the healthy relationships we already have with friends and family.

To be honest, I had dated down while going through this experience—but as God began to move in my life—I saw I no longer had to date down. I was worthy of more despite what I’d experienced. The lie in my mind that told me I’d always be fighting to be loved was just that—a lie.

Standing on Who You Are Helps to Avoid Dating Down

I learned to embrace myself once again. This includes my call by God to remain single into my 40s and however long God decides. I’m submitting to whatever plan he has for me. In this, I’ve found the protection and security that I desire. Embracing myself also enables me to hold up healthy boundaries of self-respect.

These are the things that allow us to be ourselves attracting healthy people into our lives. Being ourselves results in the prevention of us dating down. Instead, we date only those who compliment who we truly are. When was the last time you examined yourself to see if you were authentically being yourself or hiding who you truly are out of fear of never being loved?

Please, don’t do that to yourself. As God’s son or daughter, you deserve more. Read, “Patterns of the Heart: Discernment in Choosing a Potential Spouse,” to learn more and further prepare for whatever God will have for you. It will not be found in dating down.