Happily Ever After

Most of us here in America grew up with fairy tales that started with “Once upon a time” and end with “and they lived happily ever after!” As kids we were sold on idolizing this concept of finding the perfect person, falling in love with them, they would complete our lives and we would be happy forever.

Hollywood has made a fortune developing this model. This time of year there are always lots of new movies that portray life as a fairy tail. You know girl meets guy who is discovered to be the perfect match and after a tortuous journey end up with each other and they live … (You know the rest) BTW You can substitute the girl with a guy who meets a girl, etc. And while it makes for great entertainment (especially for many gals) in the end it’s still just a fairy tale. The problem is that we have begun to believe the dream is reality.

Most couples who have been together for any length of time know that reality rarely lives up to the fantasy. In fact many people go through life constantly being disappointed with the relationships that they develop. None of these relationships live up to the Hollywood myth. In fact the last step in the “ever after” scenario is that if first you don’t succeed, try, try again!

If reality doesn’t live up to the hype, what should relationship reality really look like? Well God’s plan for relationships is exactly the same as fantasy only different! God’s plan begins with becoming the person God wants you to be. Too often we want the other person to complete us when in reality it’s God who changes us into the person that we should be. We begin this process by walking in His love. This love is unselfish and seeks to put others first, starting with God.

The next step is to fix all of our hope on God. Too often we expect someone to fix all of our problems when in reality no one other then God and ever fix us. God wants us to allow Him to change us into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. The final step in this relationship prescription is that if and when failure occurs, repeat the process again!

So for those of you who are single and looking for a relationship – please realize that God loves you and wants to be the one that loves you and the one who can be everything you will ever need. And for those of you who are in a relationship, only God will never fail you. No one else is perfect. He is the only one who will truly complete you. Only He can fill the vacuum in your soul.

So this Valentine’s Day remember that the only way you can live happily ever after is to live it God’s way!

Love

Pastor Val