Dear Engaged Friends,
Being engaged is an amazing time in your life! Enjoy this season, don’t try to rush into the next. It's an exciting time of wedding planing and celebration but also a time of proving your faithfulness to God and each other.
In this time of engagement there’s a promise for marriage - and because of that comes a closer bond. A word of caution, you’re not married yet. That’s your sister or your brother till you say “I do”. In my season of engagement, we put boundaries in place to protect us. If you attempt to steal from marriage while you’re engaged, all you end up doing is creating issues of distrust later on. If this is a boundary you’ve already crossed, ask God to forgive you and take it to Godly leadership for accountability.
If you’re heading into this season, put clear boundaries up! Don’t have a long engagement. You can plan a wedding quicker than you think. Most importantly, make sure you have the peace of God 100% that you should marry this person. It doesn’t matter if your seconds from walking down the aisle and you’ve already paid for everything. Marrying the right person is no small issue. It’s the different of a life in Gods perfect will and plan or a life of misery, “what if”, and “I should have listened”.
Lastly if you are reading this and you would LOVE to be engaged but you’re in a season of singleness. I would say to you, ladies and gentlemen alike - make serving God your sole focus. Do what Gods put in your heart now, don’t wait to be used by God till you’re married. If you lack purpose now, you’ll lack it then.
Find out who you are in Christ, fill yourself with the Word and put one foot in front of the other toward your calling. I heard someone say once, “You can move as fast or as slow in life as you decide.” If you want to accelerate where you are in your life, pray, seek the Lord for His direction, remove all distractions, and move on ahead on step at a time.
One final word to my single friends, let’s take a moment to thank God together that you aren’t married to the devils ugly step sister/brother. If you’ve consecrated your life to Christ, your living in a bubble of His protection. Don’t bust the bubble to satisfy your flesh or marry some fool! If future you could talk to you now, they’d say keep going after God, make the right decisions, don’t kiss any frogs and enjoy your life!
10 Tips For The Engaged Season:
- Make it a short season!
- Be submitted closely to a pastoral couple.
- Keep life lighthearted, it’s time to be engaged – not married – so enjoy the season for what it is
- DO NOT let planning a wedding be a source of stress. It’s a gift so enjoy every moment!
- Learn how to communicate.
- Have strong boundaries, if you wouldn’t do it in front of your pastor, don’t do it.
- Don’t act overly “romantic”.
- Keep spiritual things at the forefront.
- Your wedding is YOUR wedding. Don’t invite people out of obligation!
- Join your faith together to believe God for everything you need for your wedding and honeymoon, first house etc. Don’t wait till you’re married to join your faith!
Sincerely,
Christa Jooste
