Breathing Room for My Soul

 

Psalm 62:5-6 (MSG)
“God, the one and only— I’ll wait as long as he says. Everything I hope for comes from him, so why not? He’s solid rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul, an impregnable castle: I’m set for life.”

Significant relationships is an area where most of us have the greatest challenges. We yearn in our hearts to find someone that is compatible; someone that loves God and is committed to love us in the same way that we will love them. Our desire for security and validation pushes us to put our best foot forward when we're dating someone new. We try hard not to allow them to see our baggage and they do the same, but the truth is that we all have it; some more than others. Eventually, the walls will come down and a person's real self is revealed. If it's uglier than we could have imagined, the reality that we've committed ourselves to this person can make us feel trapped.

If we've made an ample emotional investment in a dating relationship, most of us will overlook certain things and try to make it work, but sometimes this isn't the answer. If we've left God out of the equation from the very beginning, and we're not following His Word in our relationships, the reservoir for real and lasting love is depleted before the relationship begins. 1John 4:8(AMP) tells us, “The one who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. [He is the originator of love, and it is an enduring attribute of His nature.]” The love of God has to be in a person's heart and on that person's mind in order for them to be a conduit of His love. Sometimes we date individuals that are simply not interested in pursuing and giving God’s love in a way that pleases Him and fulfills us.

God's love working in us will cause us to govern our lives by things like patience, generosity, kindness, honesty, peace, and joy. If there isn't gratitude for God and His love, and if this isn’t the motivation for all that we do, there will be no breathing room for our souls. We can't expand and increase in a way that brings light into all the situations and relationships of our lives.

1Peter 1:13-16(MSG) says, “So roll up your sleeves, get your head in the game, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy; you be holy.””

Our heads are in the game when our hearts are ever expanding with love and honor for our Creator. We are required and equipped to demonstrate our gratitude for what He has accomplished for us through Jesus Christ. The way that we do this is to be obedient to His Word. We can't slip back to those old ways of trying to leave God out of our relationships. Everything we hope for comes from Him, as Psalm 62:5-6 tells us. 

Significant relationships can add to our lives and increase them in wonderful ways, but every person we date doesn't have the capacity to partner in this. Rather than giving us room to grow, they can stifle us, and God doesn't want this. He's the One with the plan for our existences, and He knows the person that is a gift to our journey forward and upward through Christ. So, let's not takes risks with something as important as joining our lives to another. God knows our flaws and strengths, and if we place our faith in Him, He will connect us with the person that will help us grow stronger in His love and grace. Surrender this area of your life to Him, because only He can give comfort to our aching hearts and breathing room for our souls.■

Amplified Bible (AMP)
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (MSG) are taken from The Message. Copyright ©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

 “Breathing Room for My Soul”, written by Kim for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2024. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.