Page 60 - #LoveWarrior

Only you and that person can determine if your meeting was intended for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. If it is
determined that it was only for a reason, then embrace that reason. Cherish that person’s role in your life for the time
you had with them. Learning to be grateful for this allows us to walk forward with confidence and excited to love
again. If it is determined that the person’s role in your life extends to a season, savor the memories you made with
them also. Try your hardest to look back on the moments you shared, and smile. From here, letting go will feel
different than you may have viewed in the past. The experiences you went through, the memories you made, and the
impact you had on their heart will become your legacy with them. Letting them go frees up the spot reserved for
your forever.

Rejection Is Really Protection
We have all heard: “To tell you the truth, I think you are amazing, but…” Whether you are a man or a woman, most
likely, you have been on the receiving end of this. Maybe you have been on the other side as the sender. I know I've
experienced both. Either way, it is not pleasant. The questions of “What did I do wrong?” and “Am I not good
enough?” Begin to pour in. Then come the emotions of “If I had only _____” or, “If I hadn't _______.” But the truth
is, regardless of what you could possibly fill in those blanks with, you have saved yourself a lot of pain and
headache walking away from a situation you would have had to force. I know that is not comforting right away, but
as one of my best friends always says, “What is yours is yours, Louisa.” She's right. We should not be interested in
forcing something that is not meant to be.

Equally Yoked
Before we discuss more on the specifics of a perfect mate, let's take a step back from the details and talk about a
foundation. I would like to say I have only dated Christians, but I can't. I've struggled with this. In my dating life, I
would date a Christian only to quickly discover the severity of their brokenness within – wounds they would address
with their words but not their actions. Then, as I experienced a non-believer who acted with more integrity and
honor than the Christian, I quickly found myself puzzled. But do you remember the number-one weapon the enemy
uses? Let me refresh your memory. The enemy seeks to deceive us, convincing us that:
1. We will not die when sin is involved, and
2. We can decide our own version of right and wrong.
Well, I'm here to tell us all – myself included – the penalty of sin is death, and I cannot determine what is right and
what is wrong. Let me clarify something: loving non-believers is not a sin. But where it gets complicated is when we
bond ourselves together as husband and wife. A non-believer and believer will repeatedly (not always, but more
often than not) clash on all decisions surrounding what path is the right one to take and which is the wrong one to
take. Our values determine how we make decisions.

In the following definitions, notice how one description begets the other. Also, take note of the starting point by
which a decision is made: their definition of truth.

Truth: A fact or belief that is accepted as true.

Belief: An acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists.

Morals: A person's standards, behavior, or beliefs concerning what is and is not acceptable for them to do.

Values: A person's principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what is important in life.

Ethics: Moral principles that govern a person's behavior or the conducting of an activity.

Our ethics drive our decision making. And to build an unbeatable team, we must back one another up. We must
believe in the decision. We must commit ourselves to the same mission. In order to do this, each person must agree
on the desired outcome. When life gets hard, we need to make sure we are paired with someone who thinks the same
way we do and who pulls their strength from the same spot we do.

I have found there are a lot of awesome people who do not claim to be Christian. But the day to day isn't what
breaks an unequally yoked couple. It's when the going gets tough, when everything comes to a head, and when each

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