Lessons From ‘The Bachelorette’

On the Monday episode of The Bachelorette, Jillian Harris picked her man. She chose Ed Swiderski, a computer software consultant from California, to be her future husband.

He bowed down on one knee, slipped a $60,000 diamond ring on her finger and declared his love for her: “I want to be with you forever … I want you to give me a hard time when we’re 80 years old. Jillian, will you marry me?” Of course she said yes, and the show went off.

But marriage is not staged or prerecorded. There are no dress rehearsals. I’ll probably never land a role on a hit TV show, and a Hollywood producer will certainly never pick my husband for me. Sure, Jillian made the final decision, but men from around the country auditioned to be in the running to be her husband.

I know personally how difficult it is to be single, hoping the right person will come along and ask for your hand in marriage. But no matter how long the wait or unbearable the loneliness, we must resist the temptation to choose a mate without His guidance and compromise our morality. Scripture says, “For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness (Ps. 107:9, NKJV).

I used to exhaust myself in prayer about marriage, cutting deals with God, telling Him I’ll do this or that if He would bless me with a husband. It’s tough, but we must learn to wait actively, not passively. I encourage you to focus on things  you’re passionate about. And whatever you’ve been called to do for Him, do it!

And the love you have on reserve for that special guy, share it with someone else. God will open doors for you to reach others with His covenant message. Whether you get married or remain single for the rest of your life, He promises to woo you with His everlasting love. He is faithful.