1 Timothy 3:1-10 says:
“Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment of the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.
Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of deep truths of faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.”
-True Images: The Bible for Teen Girls
Guys, whoa. That's a lot of expectations, right? Well answer me this, “Why lower your standards?”
Girls, same goes for you. Why lower your standards for the man that you wish to spend your life with? Why do so many of us girls go against what God wants for us? Why do so many of us settle for less than the image of God? So many of us, myself included, have settled for the drinkers, the beaters, the cheaters, the liars, the disrespectful, the untrustworthy, the violent, the haters, the unbelievers, the insincere, and the dishonest, and then, when the relationship is over, we cry out to God and ask “Why?”. Why didn't it work out, God? Why did I fall so hard for someone, only to be hurt in the end? And I truly, honestly believe that if you listened to God with all of your heart, His response would be, “Because he is not what I want for my daughter.” God would hold you in His arms, and show you the kind of gentle love that you deserve.
Not all of us may have experienced this in real life still, we have all seen it in movies. --The over-protective dad wanting nothing but the best for his little girl, and the stubborn, rebellious daughter that goes against everything that her father wants for her. Why does she do this? Maybe because she thinks she knows what is best for her. Maybe because she honestly thinks she is in love with whoever it is that she is with. Or maybe because she is seeking love. So many times (I will be the first to testify) us girls feel, think, and believe that the man who is the father-figure in our lives does not love us much as we wish he did. We think that he expects too much from us, and he expects a perfection that we just cannot be, and we settle for the temporary love of someone who is willing to not love the little imperfections of our lives, and deal with them for as long as they decide to, instead. Well, if you are reading this, and you feel that way about the father figure in your life, ask yourself this, “Why should I settle for anything less than all that I can be?” That is all he wants for you. -The best.
For those girls that do not have a physical father-figure in their life, than let that father-figure be God. He is your Father. He wants the best for you. He knows you more than you know yourself. He loves you, and will hold you when you cry. He will comfort you on your bad days, and will lift you up when you are down. Those who have a physical father-figure and a love-relationship with God have no more than those who do not have a physical father-figure and do have a love-relationship with God. Then, think about all that God wants for you. He wants nothing but the best for you, and does not, by all means, want you to settle for any boy that is less than the image of Himself.
No. None of us are going to find a love as strong as His. We will though, at some point in our lives, find the man that God has sent to love us with all of his heart and soul. We will find the man that God has made for no love other than our own, and will love us unconditionally. We will find the man that God has perfected specifically for us. We must be patient, though. We must know that God will lead our “Prince Charming” to us when He knows that our hearts are ready and strong enough to handle the hardships of being in a serious relationship with the man that He has sent for us.
In the mean time, while you wait for your Prince, save yourself. Save yourself physically, and emotionally. Do not give in to sexual temptation because the price you will pay for may be too much to handle. Too much for your fragile, little hearts. Do not give in to sexual temptation, and know that the reward for that is much greater than you can imagine. Do not give away your love to boys/men that will not appreciate you in the ways that you deserve because when you come to your senses, and realize that the “love” in your relationship was not genuine or honest, the price to pay for that may also be too much to handle. Also, God knows that we make mistakes, and He knows that we are not perfect. He knows the mistakes we will make before we do, and He has forgiven us. Even though God knows that we make mistakes, and He knows that we are not perfect, and will fall time and time again, we cannot use His forgiveness as an excuse to make mistakes, and fall without getting back up. Remember that He knows your heart, and He knows your intentions; make sure they are good. AND even with the best intentions, we can make the worst mistakes.
In conclusion, remember that your Prince is out there. He is out there, longing to find your love, just as you are longing to find his. Until God brings the two of you together, focus on God and your relationship with Him. Love Him the way you long to love your Prince. Trust me, you will save yourself a lifetime of hurt, and will be rewarded with a lifetime of unconditional, everlasting, unfailing love.
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