The Unmatched Beauty of a Romance Built by God
By LESLIE LUDY
As for God, His way is perfect.
Psalm 18:30
During most of my single years I was on a desperate search for true love. I was convinced that if I could only find the right guy — the knight in shining armor I’d always dreamed of — I would finally be happy and fulfilled.
Despite my fairy tale ideals, dating around was not the romantic experience I’d always imagined it would be. In a desperate attempt to find the man of my dreams, I flitted from one relationship to the next, allowing my heart to be trampled time and time again. I gave myself emotionally and even physically to one guy after another. Even though I managed to keep my abstinence commitment, and even though I dated mostly “Christian” guys, I knew that something wasn’t right in this area of my life. I hadn’t crossed certain physical lines, but I still felt guilty and impure. I was giving away far more of my heart, mind, emotions, and body than I knew was right. I felt dirty, used, and miserable.
I wondered why God kept allowing me to get my heart broken again and again. Little did I realize what amazing, beautiful, life-altering plans my Creator had for me — if only I would entrust the pen to Him and let Him write my story.
When I finally made the difficult decision to surrender my love life completely to Jesus Christ, I was truly in awe of what happened. I had never thought of God as a romantic, but never have I experienced such beauty and romance as when God is at the center of my love life.
It only makes sense, when you stop and think about it. God is the Creator of love and romance. Marriage was His idea in the first place. What better Matchmaker could we ever find than the One who created us and cares more about us than we can comprehend?
As it says in Psalm 18:30, “God’s way is perfect” (NLT). When I turned this sacred area of my life over to Him, the words of this Scripture were proven absolutely true. At first glance, God’s pattern might seem anything but “perfect.” That’s because His way is completely opposite of the sensual, self-gratifying trends of the culture. Following His pattern requires sacrifice, surrender, and patience. Before we can truly grasp the perfection of His ways, we must first exchange our desires for His desires. Yet once He becomes our focal point, we begin to truly take delight in the heavenly brilliance of His pattern.
When God builds a relationship, purity is not scorned; it is highly regarded. Parents and siblings are not ostracized; they are honored. Romance is not rushed; it is carefully cultivated. And sacred words aren’t casually expressed; they are saved for sacred moments. There is no question that God’s way is not the easy way. But it is far more beautiful and infinitely more fulfilling than any shallow, pleasure-seeking, self-built relationship ever could be.
God’s way of building a relationship is perfect. Though following His way does not provide instant gratification or satisfy our selfish wants, the beauty of His amazing pattern is truly beyond compare. Only those who have fully surrendered to Him can truly comprehend this reality.
Recently Eric and I were privileged to watch a pre-screening of Paul Munger’s new movie Princess Cut. It was a beautiful film. Munger took on the nearly impossible task of conveying, through film, the priceless value of handling romance and relationships God’s way.
The film captured the principle of Psalm 18:30 so well, effectively showcasing the reality that God does indeed give His very best to those who leave the choice to Him. Watching this movie was like a walk down memory lane for me. The story caused me to re-live the extraordinary, challenging, and thrilling adventure of what God did in my own life twenty years ago. After two decades of married life, I was reminded of why my life, marriage, and family have had such an undergirding grace — it all began with that critical decision to let God write my love story.
Maybe you are struggling with loneliness and longing for marriage. Maybe you’ve made mistakes in relationships and aren’t sure where to go from here. Maybe you simply want a fresh reminder of God’s beautiful pattern. I encourage you to watch this film and be inspired with a vision for what is possible when you leave the pen in God’s hands, allow Him to redeem this area of your life, and let Him write your love story.
Remember that choosing God’s way always leads to victory and joy, even if the outcome is different from what we always hoped for. If you are struggling with disappointment, disillusionment, or impatience in this or any other area of your life, ask God to replace your desires with His desires. Only when we delight in Him can our desires become purified and fulfilled by the One who created us and cares more about us than we could ever imagine.
Truly, He is faithful