Alexandra J. Savage - A Beautiful Season: Finding Your Identity in Christ After a Dating Relationship Ends

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A Beautiful Season

Finding your Identity in Christ after a Dating Relationship Ends

2015 by Alexandra J. Savage

All rights reserved

ISBN: 978-1-62020-547-1

eISBN: 978-1-62020-455-9

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New International Version Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture marked MSG is taken from the The Message Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Scripture marked NASB is taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Cover Design and Page Layout by Hannah Nichols

eBook Conversion by Anna Riebe Raats

Let It Go

from Disneys Animated Feature FROZEN

Music and Lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Rober Lopez

(c) 2013 Wonderland Music Company, Inc.

All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.

Reprinted by Permission of Hal Leonard Corporation

Beautiful Things

Written by Lisa Gungor, Michael Gungor

Copyright 2009 worshiptogether.com Songs (ASCAP) (adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com) All rights reserved. Used by permission.

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INTRODUCTION

No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; hell never let you be pushed past your limit; hell always be there to help you come through it.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (MSG)

HOPE IS AN UNDERLYING MESSAGE of the Bible. Notice the words, Hell always be there to help you come through it. God isnt sometimes there for us; Hes always there for us. This holds true for what you are going through and experiencing today. God will always help us get through the rough patches of life. This includes breakups and being single. While I am not saying that singleness is a rough patch, what I am saying is that you may still be hurting and that is okay. Given the right ingredients, our outlook and the perspective of our circumstance can be changed. With the help of Jesus Christ, we can learn how to be joyful regardless of our circumstances.

I dont like the idea of a broken heart. No one should ever be allowed to claim the title of heartbreaker or even be able to say, I broke his or her heart. In this book, you will not hear those phrases being referred to. For followers of Christ, only God deserves to have authority over our hearts. Never give someone or yourself the prideful idea that people have the ability to break hearts. Having this mentality will only lead you to emotional destruction and despair. Moping around and claiming that you are brokenhearted can be dangerous because it can inhibit spiritual growth. In a way, giving someone this kind of a seat in your life, and the authority over your happiness, is idolatry. God Himself should be number one in our hearts. This is so that if you and a significant other do break up, the Holy Spirit has been and will remain in full control of your life, your emotions, and your spiritual wellbeing. Repeat these words: I will allow no one to break my heart. God alone has full control.

As an author, I am very fond of the concept that you can only write about what you know. I was in a serious dating relationship that lasted for three years before I realized and accepted that God had something greater in mind for my life. Overcoming my past relationship with the help of Jesus Christ and the support of Christian women in my life is a major part of my testimony. By having Jesus as the backboard during my rebound, God used a challenging life experience to shape me into the woman I am today. I hope that as you are going through a similar, tough experience that your testimony will be strengthened and that you will be able to say and believe, I have been changed for the better. I hope you will realize that there is hope after a breakup, there is beauty in singleness, and there is joy in today.

Place God above all else and he will meet your every need (Matthew 6:33). Jesus is in my heart, He is ever present in my life, He knows my every thought, and He recognizes my every need. Jeremiah 29:11 sheds light on a simple biblical truth that is so often overlooked: For I know the plans I have for you declares The Lord; plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. We recite this verse and memorize it, but do we always believe what God is telling us here? Having faith in Gods plan is essential to discovering the purposes for our lives. By trusting in Gods plan, we enable Him to do great works through us. Faith is the key that unlocks the door for God to pour out endless possibilities and unimaginable blessings in our lives. Throughout the pages of this book we are going to be searching for this important key. The key of faith holds great power, but also comes with a price.

As Christians, we are called to pick up our cross and follow Jesus daily. Jesus is the essence of our faith. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father, except through Jesus (John 14:6). By learning from Him, we can grow spiritually and find the key of faith. With Jesus on our side, our faith can become so strong that it has the power to move mountains, and to heal our hurt. Through our every circumstance, may we seek the key holder of our faith, Jesus Christ.

But what does it mean to seek the key holder of our faith? There are so many different ways that we can be Jesus hands and feet to the world. Being a Christ follower looks different for everyone. By discovering who we are and finding our identity in Christ, we are better able to reach others and spread Gods love.

My mom always gave me great advice on dating in the form of two short wordsnever settle. Ask God for wisdom to recognize what His plans are for you. If you are currently in a relationship that is not Gods best for you then do not procrastinate on gracefully ending things. I consider myself blessed to have ended my serious relationship before we stepped past the point of no returnmarital union. If you know he is not the one, then dont waste your time. One author put it this way, When someone brings more problems to your life than happiness, its time to show them the door where they can exit (Anonymous). This seems like common sense, but so often love is blind. The Bible offers this advice: Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise (Proverbs 19:20). We need to make the choice to listen to other peoples advice because the Bible says so! By remaining in the wrong relationship, you run the risk of missing the right one when he comes along. In the scheme of life, being single is a short season. Its much better to realize that you and your significant other are not right for each other before the wedding bells ring, rather than after. Divorce is a messy, no fun, expensive, and emotionally draining process (so Ive been told). Make yourself open, and available now, to the one God has in mind, the man of your dreams.