Hey guys and welcome back to the salt not sweetener
podcast. I'm your host Danielle Townsend and
today's episode is About how singleness is actually
a gift from God and I know it doesn't always
feel like it And you may have already heard people
tell you this before. You may be scrolling social
media and see other people say this and you want
to roll your eyes and say, yeah, yeah, whatever.
I'm waiting on the marriage. I'm waiting on the
spouse. I'm waiting on the husband. I'm waiting
on the wife. I want kids. When is it going to
happen? It doesn't feel like a blessing. I'm
going to share with y 'all today how the Lord
has really revealed to me singleness is a gift
and a blessing and hopes that this helps you
in your walk and that this changes your perspective.
just a little way I'm gonna give y 'all a little
bit of background okay of my dating to quickly
summarize this I I have been single for years
years it has been many years I'm 26 now my last
like long -term serious relationship was when
I ended when I was like 18 And sure, I had the
situationships, I had the talking stages, but
the situationships are when you do everything
like a couple does, you basically act like a
couple, but you don't have that couple label.
And the second the couple conversation comes
up, one of the parties say, this isn't what I'm
looking for. Just to summarize it, I have been
single for a long time. That doesn't mean I hadn't
gone out on dates. I had romantic experiences.
You know when I got immersed unfortunately when
I was in my college days and my teenage days
I've shared with you all in previous podcast
episodes. I fell into hookup culture I fell into
the quick validation instant gratification lifestyle.
I wasn't living for Christ when I was a teenager
and a young adult I was living for myself. I
was living for the world, but you know now I'm
someone I've been single for years I've been
practicing abstinence for years now waiting until
marriage, re -waiting until marriage. And I'm
not gonna say it's always been easy. I have gone
through periods in my life, especially y 'all,
when I first surrendered my life to Christ, being
married and having kids was actually very low
down on my priority list. When I gave my life
to Christ, I remember just being so enthralled
with the idea of serving God. Like when I gave
my life to Christ, I was so enamored with Christ
It was like I just had such a desire to serve
and to live a life pleasing for the Lord But
that's where my mind was at was I was waking
up. What do you want me to do today? Lord? What
do we need to work on because I knew the Lord
was pruning me I know who is sanctifying me.
It's like what do we have to do today? What are
you gonna heal in me today? What do you need
me to do? I was focused on my relationship with
the Lord and becoming You know, I was a new creation.
I was delivering. The Lord had gotten me out
of Egypt, but it was time for him to get the
Egypt out of me. There were still habits that
he had to break down in me. There was still pruning
that needed to be done. Like, I understood that
I wasn't in the space to steward over. God had
made a lot of promises to me. And there is still
some promises I'm waiting on him to deliver on.
I recognized that God made those promises, but
I was not yet the person I needed to be to steward
over those promises. And now was the time for
me to go through a period of God making me into
who He needed me to be to steward over His blessings
well. So relationships really weren't a thing.
They weren't a big deal. When I gave my life
to Christ, having a husband, dating, I really...
That would be a cool thing for the future, but
that wasn't my main concern. I wanted to be rooted
in the Lord I was going through so much spiritual
warfare I was just still learning how to stay
on my feet and Continuing to go back to the Lord.
I was focused on my relationship the Lord I had
to make sure that I had a firm foundation in
Christ I had to make sure shoot I was rooted
in the Lord and Honestly, a relationship would
have been a distraction glory be to God I know
this isn't everybody's situations. I'm really
grateful I wasn't a mom at this time. I'm not
a mom yet, still. But I'm really grateful that
when I was going through my rebirth and giving
my life to Christ, I wasn't distracted by kids
or by a husband. And kids are a blessing. Marriage
is a blessing. It is also a gift from God. But
at that time, they would have been things pulling
my attention away from the Lord. So I'm grateful
that I was able and in a position to just focus
on the Lord. And honestly, as I progressed in
my relationship with Christ, God started to give
me new desires in my heart. I had never before
desired to be a mom. As a kid, as a teenager,
as a young adult, I didn't want to be a mom.
I never had any craving with that. I never had
any desire with that. I was focused on me, my
selfish ambitions, me, myself, and I. And all
of a sudden, I started having desires of, I want
to be a mom one day. I want to have kids, and
I want to bring them up in a way that is pleasing
to the Lord. I want them to love the Lord. Want
to break generational patterns in my family by
raising my kids in love in Christ like love I
want to break off generational patterns so that
way they don't affect my children And I started
thinking I want to be I started having desires
to be married one day And I stopped seeing marriage
as a way to serve myself, but started seeing
marriage as a way to serve the Lord. You know,
for the longest time I looked at marriage as,
how can it benefit me? How can it make me feel
better? I looked for partners of how does this
help me? And all of a sudden I started seeing
marriage. The more I was in God's word and gained
to know God, and he was bringing up these desires
in my heart, I started seeing marriage as two
people who are individually Focused on Christ
two people who are already focused on the relationship
to the Lord pursuing righteousness pursuing seeking
first the kingdom of heaven Rooted in the Lord
in their calling in their purpose who come together
to pursue Christ together Pursuing Christ never
stops. They're encouraging together They're ministering
together and that is the vision that God gave
me for marriage one day as someone to minister
with Someone to encourage me and someone for
me to encourage on my walk with Christ Someone
to lead me and guide me someone for me to help
some for me to be a help me to And the more the
Lord placed these desires in me the more They
started taking up the focus of my mind before
you know it y 'all I started praying to God was
like God when is the husband gonna come? It's
today the day like am I gonna be married today?
I'm waiting on you God I'm not going out and
trying to seek it out myself, but when's it coming?
And when you're focusing on that, in my experience,
there's a lack that starts to come up that shouldn't
be there. God had done so many wonderful, amazing
things in my life, but I started focusing on
what wasn't there. I started focusing on the
husband isn't here, which means the kids aren't
here, which means... you know, these other things.
I start thinking, God, will it be a lot easier
if I had a husband to encourage me and all these
things? And I wasn't seeing the blessing in the
single season. Instead, I was seeing it as a
lack. Or seeing it as a drought and the lord
has recently really flipped my perspective And
he led me to some scripture this morning and
I want to read this to y 'all It is first corinthians
chapter 7 in verse 32. It says I want you to
be without concerns The unmarried man is concerned
about the things of the lord how he may please
the lord But the married man is concerned about
the things of the world how he may please his
wife and his interests are divided the unmarried
woman or virgin is concerned about the things
of the lord so that she may be holy both in body
and in spirit but the married woman is concerned
about the things of the world how she may please
her husband i am saying this for your own benefit
not to put a restraint on you but to promote
what is proper so that you may be devoted to
the lord without distraction and the lord really
revealed to me that although Children are a blessing
and a gift from God. Although marriage is a blessing
and a gift from God If received too early, it
is a distraction from your walk with Christ and
He really reminded me he's like do you really
think six months ago? You would have been able
to focus on the things I was calling you to focus
on step into things is calling you step into
and be a wife and focus on your husband's needs
and focus on everything with him. On top of that,
raising children, taking care of the kids. Once
you're married, it's not just about you and what
you want. It's not just about you. You're taking
other people into account. There are other people's
lives. There are conversations. When you're married
and you're making these big life decisions, you
make it together. The Lord revealed to me right
now, the only person you have to consult is me.
The only person I have to consult with is God.
When I'm married, I'm gonna be informing my husband.
I'm gonna be consulting with my husband. When
I have kids, I'm gonna be having to plan accordingly
for my children. I'm gonna be having to take
them into account. The Lord revealed to me how
great of a blessing it is that right now, I only
have to worry about being God's girl. My only
worry is being God's child. and doing what he
has called me to do and obeying him. Like y 'all
today, I got to, I went to church and after church
I came home, I did a workout. I got to decide
what I wanted to eat for lunch and cook that.
I went out and bought a couple books and some
new shirts for work. And I came home and just
started doing a Bible study, scripture reading
and reading one of the new books I had and just
praying and hanging out. I just saw how much
of a blessing it is to be able to do this in
this moment Because I believe that there is gonna
be one day in my life when when I'm driving to
church in the morning It's no longer gonna be
just me driving to church. It's gonna be my husband
in the car with me and God willing kids and I'll
be playing out the day of You know kids ministry
with them and taking them there and after we
go to church It's not about me coming home and
cooking whatever I want to cook and do whatever
I want to do and just Willy -nilly in the day.
I'm gonna be having to take what other people
are wanting to eat into account I'm gonna be
having to take what other people need done what
my kids need for school will get them ready do
all those things take that into account what
my husband wants to do You know what? If he's
ministering and involved in something or doing
something else, my day is no longer just going
to be, okay, God called me to do this. I'm going
to drop this and go over here and go do this
and go do that thing. I'm going to be having
to worry about worldly things more. Kids cost
money. You're going to be having to budget out
more things. A wedding costs money. You're going
to be having to budget that out more. Like I
said, when you're married, you're making decisions
with that person together. Right now, I'm making
decisions just with the Lord. And there is a
blessing that right now, because I've shared
with you all many times before, although I was
raised from the church, I didn't give my life
to Christ until a little over a year ago. And
I can't imagine, like, the Lord has had to rewire
my brain so much. He has had to tear down so
many old habits. He has had to bring up so many
new things. I have had to go through so much
pruning. Like, I'm literally a new person compared
to who I was before. And the thought of trying
to do that while being married and having kids,
like having other people relying on me, having
other people to console, all of these things...
It's so many more moving pieces that I can't
imagine taking all of those other things into
account. And that was the revelation. I don't
think this episode is going to be too long, guys.
I think this is going to be a shorter episode.
That is the revelation that the Lord gave to
me today, is it is a blessing that you have been
doing this in your single period, in your single
season. I can't tell you how many times I was
looking up to God and being like, God, it would
be really helpful if I had a husband right now,
if I had a partner to help me. Navigate this
and help me do all these things and all of this
and Lord has revealed me if I had a partner I
would have been going to the partner instead
of God This whole year of giving my life to Christ
and learning to rely on him and trust in him
I needed to be learning to go to him and not
going to other people To rely on him for the
strength to rely on him for the encouragement
like this was God building the firm foundation
If I, knowing the habits I had in the past of
relying on other people for emotional support
and comfort and all of these things, if I would
have had already a partner available like that,
I may have chosen to go to them instead of God.
And I might not be who I am today, at the stage
in my faith that I'm in today. So glory be to
God, he's kept me single for as long as he has.
If it would have been more helpful, for me to
do this as a wife that door would have opened
if it was necessary for me to be a mom right
now that door would be opened so since the lord
has yet to open that door he has me right where
he wants me and i'm right where i need to be
for him to do the next step in my life whatever
that looks like and whoever you are today that's
listening to us that's in your single season
I pray that this encourages you to that right
now all your main responsibility and of course
you have work to show up to you have these other
things but right now the person that you answer
to is God right now the person that you have
to consult is God right now you're able to be
concerned more with just godly things who God
is calling you to be what God is calling you
to do how can you serve him today how can you
obey him today and yes there is blessing in being
a mother or a father there is blessing in being
a husband or a wife there is blessing in that
but there is also blessing in just having this
one -on -one time with the Lord undistracted
unimpeded because when those things do come into
your life You're gonna have to expand more, right?
You're gonna have to be rooted in the Lord, serving
the Lord while also taking these other people
into account, loving these other people, working
with these other people. And that is gonna be
a blessing one day. But since that is not yet
where you're at, trust that God has you where
you need to be. And pray that He reveals to you,
What you are needing to see during the season
what you are needing to work on during the season
What is he trying to show you? What is he trying
to reveal to you? Are you in the sanctification
process? Are you in a process right now? Where
God is making you who you need to be in order
to be a good spouse or a good partner I've shared
in the previous a couple episodes back. That
was the love episode is what was titled I used
to think I was loving people correctly. I used
to think I was loving people well. But once I
started knowing Christ -like love and different
ways to share it, I started seeing how actually
unhealthy and worldly my love was in the past.
How much of... I used to think I am not the problem.
Everyone else was the problem. I was able to
see lots of areas where actually I was problematic.
And I wouldn't have been a good wife in these
areas. This wouldn't have added to a Christ -like
relationship. And in the past year, since I've
given my life to Christ, and I've been in His
Word, a lot of these things have been shifted.
And I'm not saying I'm perfect now, but even
where I'm at now, I'm like, wow, I think I'd
be a much better wife today than I would have
been a year ago, let alone two years ago. And
two years ago, I would have said I'm ready. Didn't
even see how many things God needed to break
off and shift until he broke them off and shifted
them So trust that if you are in the season now
God has already planned for it and God has a
reason and remember that he can use all things
for your good and I again want to reinforce this
y 'all that Children are a gift and a blessing.
A spouse is a gift and a blessing, but singleness
is also a gift and a blessing. There are different
times and different seasons for each. And right
now, if God has appointed you to the single season,
use that season. He has you in it because he
can use it. Ask him to reveal to you what you
need to do what you need to see how he can use
it and he will blow your mind with just how much
He can do with it. God's ways are above our ways,
and I cannot tell y 'all how many times I have
been in a situation, in a scenario, where, like,
there's no way God can use this. If He can, I
can only see, like, this one thing. And then
He ends up pulling, like, ten things out of it,
and I'm like, what? Like, where did that come
from? And then I find out it affected, like,
ten other people, and I wasn't even thinking
about other people. And it's just amazing the
way that God can interconnect things. And how
he can use one scenario one situation to bring
about like 10 different lessons 20 different
healings impact like 50 people It's crazy Just
how much he can do So instead of looking at the
season you're in right now from the space of
lack and a space of pain and a space of yearning
Look at it as a space of learning a space of
abundance because although you don't have the
spouse although you don't have the kids you have
God and I want to tell you this today this is
the time to turn more to the Lord not away from
the Lord and I know hearing this you might be
like well yeah duh I'm supposed to turn to the
Lord like why would I turn away from the Lord
it can be tempting it can be tempting to turn
away from the Lord recently I had an experience
y 'all where I felt like I was doing really good
just focusing on my relationship to the Lord
and not focusing on external relationships and
everything like that and just letting things
play out in their timing and I felt convicted
that I was focusing too much on relationships
and that I was kind of seeking out a partner
too much I felt convicted on that and in that
conviction I knew in that moment I was like it's
time to if I'm really feeling convicted about
this repent and take it to the Lord and pray
about it but there was a little voice that was
like don't repent don't like it there was a condemnation
stirring a creep in because i know that condemnation
doesn't come from god that when when you repent
and you ask for forgiveness you are forgiven
you're washed of that sin you're cleansed of
that but there was a voice that started getting
louder and louder that that was just telling
me you sinned and You're you're taking control
away from God and you you don't deserve a husband
and you don't deserve You don't deserve You know
your spouse one day you don't deserve it started
going into you don't deserve a platform and you
don't deserve this and you don't deserve that
like How can you be preaching the gospel? But
you're over here and there was like this overwhelming
condemnation and I remember I started crying
and I started like praying to God where I was
like God I don't deserve anything good and I
was like God I don't deserve the platform I have
I don't deserve the podcast I don't deserve a
husband I don't deserve to speak in your name
I don't deserve and there was like this overwhelming
I started to entertain that voice and I started
saying out loud like I'm unworthy and I'm undeserving
and There was a pause for a moment When and I
started praying to God I was like God I need
to repent. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I sinned.
I'm so sorry I strayed. I'm so sorry I went away
like I don't deserve any of the good things you
did in my life yet you did them anyway and There
was another pause for a minute and I truly felt
the Lord speak to me like No, you don't you don't
deserve any of these good things And I'm not
giving you these good things because you deserve
them I'm giving them to you because I'm merciful
and I love you and there was like this overwhelming
feeling of like love and as I started crying
and I started asking Lord for forgiveness There
is an overwhelming peace that overcame me There
is a peace that surpassed all understanding and
I felt the love of God and there is an instant
like relief and this feeling of condemnation
Left my body. It was like this where I just knew
I was like, God isn't angry at me. God isn't
mad at me. And that's not saying that sin is
okay, but I was like, he's not about to strip
away everything because I feel convicted, because
I've been prioritizing a relationship over him,
because I did this thing. I'm coming back to
him right now in this moment. And he's accepting
me. And that was a moment, you know, Christ.
had victory over the lies of the enemy the lies
of the enemy were trying to keep me from repenting
and They were trying to keep me to turn from
the Lord because in that time I didn't want to
repent I didn't want to pray I didn't want to
open up my Bible because I felt so dirty and
so unworthy and so unclean That like I was even
starting to believe like I don't deserve to go
before the Lord. I don't deserve to be forgiven
I don't deserve prayer. I might as well just
sit here and like wallow in this uncleanliness
and simple dirtiness and this feeling of condemnation
and just cry and let it fester but glory be to
God I took it to the Lord instead you know it's
not always in your mind where you say I'm gonna
turn from God ha ha ha it's moments like that
where you start all of a sudden believing the
condemnation and the lies of the enemy that causes
you to turn away from the Lord in that moment
I wasn't turning away from I wasn't tempted to
turn away from the Lord out of anger of like
how dare you not give me my spouse word it was
actually out of shame where it was like oh my
gosh I have been spending so much of my time
focusing on you and you know I got distracted
and I turned away and I sinned you know because
I committed in my eyes I committed the sin of
idolatry I started idolizing a husband I started
idolizing a relationship. Idolatry was the sin
here in the situation. And I felt such condemnation
because I was like, here I am telling other people
to keep their eyes on the Lord and focus on the
Lord, but I'm falling into that temptation. I'm
unworthy, I'm undeserving. And it spiraled from
there. And you know the Lord took me through
later on scripture reading and prayer timing.
You know, I came out the other side recognizing
the Lord doesn't call me to be perfect. He calls
me to be more like him. He calls me to be more
Christ -like. And I've been doing my best to
be more Christ -like. Every day I've been trying
to wake up and seeing how can I be more like
God. And the fact that I repented, the fact I
took it to the Lord, the fact I felt conviction
shows that God is present in my life and in my
spirit. that the Holy Spirit is with me convicting
me and revealing things to me and I truly felt
the Lord revealed me that he was well pleased
with me and that he he didn't call me to this
position or give me the platform because I'm
perfect or because I'm deserving because I'm
never going to take a foot out of place those
weren't the conditions If they were I would have
already lost it a long time ago. No one would
be able to keep platforms or positions The important
thing here was that I turned to the Lord in my
time of upset and sorrow and I am wanting to
Reveal this to you guys today. I'm not you know,
I try to be thoughtful of when I share these
experiences But I want you guys to hear today
that like this person effective I have. Singleness
being a blessing. It wasn't just I woke up with
it, and I just always viewed it like that, and
I read it one time in scripture and believed
it and moved on from there. No, it's been a wrestle
for me. It's been a war for me, and I think sometimes
when we hear other Christian creators talking
about it when we see short videos or short sermons
or podcast episodes when they're just spitting
knowledge, which is very knowledgeable, it's
easier for us to look and be like, wow, they
have it all figured out. They have it all worked
out. They must not ever struggle. there's actually
a podcast I was watching earlier where they were
just speaking with so much wisdom and they were
married couple speaking and it was like wow they
must never at first my brain went to like wow
they must think I'm crazy for dealing with what
I'm dealing with and all these things and I know
that's not true but I want to be vulnerable with
you guys in this moment that you can see that
like Getting to that understanding is a process.
There has been a war over my mind and over my
priorities. We know as Christians that there
is a constant spiritual battle going on around
us, a battle between good and evil, and that
the devil is the lowercase G God of this world.
And that our flesh leans towards the things that
are not of the spirit, that are not Christ -like.
Of course, when you're trying to lean towards
Christ, and when you're trying to do the Christ
-like thing, when you're trying to be set apart,
there's going to be a tug of war. But it's important
to remember that Jesus Christ is our base secured
victory on the cross, right? He's already conquered
evil. He's already conquered death. He's already
conquered wickedness. And we know what's going
to happen to the devil one day. And until that
day comes, we focus on serving the Lord. just
leaning towards the spirit denying the flesh
but I think it's so important for you guys to
see and hear the process and I I want to be so
vulnerable with you guys since since we're talking
about this day of like the lies of the enemy
there has been a lie of the enemy that has been
coming for me a lot recently that has to do with
the platform that has to do with You know, I
have a bigger platform on tiktok now having this
podcast But they're having this platform When
I stepped into it For I shared with y 'all in
the first couple episodes that I was really kind
of apprehensive towards having a podcast I had
been feeling the lord put it on me for like months
Like long before I actually did it and I kept
finding ways to push it off and procrastinate
it and not do it and honestly the big thing is
i didn't feel qualified i was like god i've only
been like actively surrendering to you for a
little over now a year before i started the podcast
it was a little underrated i was like thinking
like lord like aren't there a lot more people
more qualified like who's gonna want to listen
to someone who's only been walking with christ
for sure i was raised in the church but i wasn't
submitted to the lord living for you until i
gave my life to christ in the september of 2024
it's been a little over a year like who don't
people want to listen to the people who have
been christians for five years for 10 years for
15 years what do i have to offer god like i there
was so so much of me that was like i i'm not
going to be able to answer all these deep philosophical
questions theological questions yet like there
are words now people still throw at me there
there was a word there is questions someone asked
me like a week ago just about my church where
they're like does it follow the five i can't
even tell you what the word is it's not i where
they they were talking really theological like
all these different like ways to determine If
the church is like biblically theologically like
following the text and like all these different
things this person was using all these words
and I was like I don't know what you mean by
this it's like and I you know kind of answered
the question to the best of my ability but kind
of threw me off because I was like and I know
this person has been a follower of Christ for
a very long time and I kind of felt convicted
by the Lord of like if that was if that was something
that you were supposed to be focused on um trust
Daniel you you would have been called to focus
on it you know it was um the way that the Lord
really spoke to me on that because I started
praying to God like God am I supposed to know
about that like am I supposed to focus on that
that's this kind of sounds really like more of
a legalistic discussion and like and I it didn't
feel like a very Christ -centered way of viewing
churches. I was like, but this feels like very
legalistic. This feels a bit pharisee. I was
like, but I don't feel called to this, but am
I supposed to be paying attention to this? And
I felt the Lord so heavily tell me like, if you
were supposed to focus on that, don't you think
I would have called you to focus on that? Don't
you think that would have been brought up by
now? But that was something that for an instant
it was like, Because this person said, well,
I figured you would know since you have a podcast.
And I had to respond back to them saying, hey,
I'm new. I'm a new Christian. My podcast is share
my testimony glorify God and share my walk as
I walk. I'm not coming here claiming to be the
smartest person or knowing everything or that
I can teach you everything. I'm sharing with
you what I learned as I learned it. This is watching
me on my walk. I'm going through sanctification.
I'm going through pruning. I'm not here to teach
you everything about God I'm learning about God
I'm learning about Christ and I'm just sharing
with you what I've learned as I learned it sharing
with you the Transformations and the testimonies
of Christ Jesus in my life because he told me
to Because he told me to Not even I didn't even
step in this because I want to I stepped in this
because he told me to he had given me a long
period of wrestling back and forth and when august
hit and i stepped into doing this the lord had
really told me like your time of waiting is up
like the time is now you need to step into this
now you need to trust me and the lord has moved
through me trusting him but that has been a real
wrestle for me y 'all of like am i qualified
what are the qualifications and when i started
thinking about more things that made me feel
unqualified was my inability to answer every
single theological question someone had When
I feel prepared for something, I don't feel prepared
unless I'm like, okay, no matter what comes,
I'll be able to conquer and handle it all. And
the Lord reminded me, before I stepped into the
podcast, the Lord had showed me Jeremiah in the
opening. Chapter one of Jeremiah he says like
before I formed you I knew you he goes on to
say like don't say you're too young Don't say
you don't have the words I will give you the
words like I will give you the wisdom and that's
what the Lord I felt really Speak to me when
I was stepping into the podcast is like trust
that I will speak through you Trust I will give
you the words trust. I will guide you along the
way. Don't say you're too young Don't say you're
too new of a Christian don't say you're too inexperienced
to glorify God and share testimonies. I Will
use where you're at And the Lord has really revealed
to me in the past couple weeks, and I've shared
this with you all in recent podcast episodes,
that a lot of the Christian creators that we
have to listen to have been walking with Christ
for five years, 10 years, 15 years, 20 years.
And those, yes, those are wonderful people to
listen to. Those are the people I listen to.
I think it's very good. to get instruction and
guidance and teaching from people who have an
in -depth understanding of the Lord and have
been around the block. But the Lord has also
revealed to me that there are a lot of people
who are in the same stage in their walk behind
them. Where they're newish. They're going through
sanctification. They're going through the process.
And it's one thing to hear what people have went
through on the other side when there's already
all these victories and everything is secured,
like you know someone sharing their testimony
of what happened two years ago, five years ago,
ten years ago. It's kind of different to listen
to what someone's going through and learning
as they're going through it and as they're learning
it. Seeing and hearing the different thoughts
that someone is thinking, the emotions that they're
going through, the different testings, the different
tribulations, and that's what I kind of have
to offer to you guys, right? Is sharing the emotions
while they're fresh. sharing the thoughts that
I'm having and the tug of war is there going
on and just you guys getting to see the process
as I go through it in hopes that this helps you
as you go through your process and it's actually
a real unique space that the Lord has me in and
I felt so encouraged and so guided to not compare
myself to other voices out there to not compare
myself to the seasoned Christians the debaters,
the theological experts, all these things, because
I'm not in the same race that they're in, right?
Like I'm not in, I'm not, I don't have the same
qualifications, I don't have the same calling.
Like God has me in the space to be used for a
reason. Comparison is a thief of joy and maybe
someone needs to hear that today too who you
are watching the podcast Comparison will steal
your joy God knew you and had a purpose for you
before your mom and dad knew you He has a calling
for your life. He has a purpose for you. He has
given you gifts You are unique Your walk with
Christ Your relationship with him is not going
to look like this person or that person and comparing
yourself and where you're at to this person to
that person is only going to rob you of joy because
their Destination is going to be different than
your destination and in this worldly all of us
have the end goal of heaven, right but when it
comes to being married or this kind of job, if
that is the assignment that God is giving you.
Each of us are going to have different assignments
to carry out our calling. Each of us are going
to have different lessons and different experiences
to train us and to sharpen us. There was a really
interesting conversation with a friend of mine
that loves the Lord that I was having before.
This was close to a year ago when we were having
this conversation. we're sharing with her like
you know some things she had been walking with
the lord a lot longer than i had and some of
the things that i've been sharing with her that
i had recently learned when i was really fresh
on my walk she had said that she had only just
recently you know really started implementing
or picking up on and you know some things that
she learned first i had yet to really learn And
it's interesting how God knows what is the next
lesson, what is the next strengthening we need,
what is the next thing to move forward. And that's
going to look different for each person. We see
that there are some people that God has blessed
them to be married when they're in their early
20s. And then They step into ministry later on
and do these other things later on. And then
there are other people, like God calls them to
ministry first. God calls them to do these other
things first and then to marriage later. Then
to kids later. There is a time and there is a
season for each thing. Each person, God's plan
for each person's life is gonna be a bit different,
right? The way that he intends to move you and
shift you around and teach you and guide you
is gonna look different. So don't compare yourself
and where you're at to other people. There is
no scale like that of where you should be like
that. Trust in God's timing. Now I think y 'all
this is where we're going to end the episode
today and it has been such a blessing getting
to speak about this with y 'all today and I pray
that this encourages you. I pray that this helps
you. Thank you so much for listening to the salt
not sweetener podcast and I do ask that you hit
subscribe Wherever it is you're listening to
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next episode of salt not sweetener. Have a blessed
day