Jon Taylor – Lead Pastor

The age old questions when dating are: “How will I know when I’ve met Mr. (or Mrs.) Right? How will I know they’re the one?”

I well remember spending hours pondering this question when I was a young college student. I wasn’t having much luck meeting girls or with dating (no surprise there), but I earnestly held out hope that someday I would meet “the one.” But then the nagging question of “how will I know she’s the one?” kept haunting me.

I’m happy to report that I met “the one” and we’ve been happily married for almost 28 years, but I sure wish I’d spent more time thinking about this great question from Andy Stanley – “Are you who the person you are looking for, is looking for?” Think about that for a minute.

If I’d spent time thinking about that question I hopefully would have considered my character, the choices I had made, and the evidence, or fruit (or lack thereof), of God working in my life that would indicate emotional and spiritual maturity. But I didn’t think about those questions. All I thought about was who would be the right one to meet my needs, to be the wife I wanted and needed. As a result, I spent many years of my marriage living selfishly and not putting the needs of my wife and sons ahead of my own. Thanks for sticking with me, June!

A book that’s also helped my thinking along these lines is “The DNA of Relationships” by Dr. Gary Smalley. I strongly recommend this book for anyone in any relationship – married, dating, or single. If you’re not married or dating but have friends and family, you should read this book, too. In fact, another way to ask Andy’s question is this: “Are you who the friend you are looking for, is looking for?”

It all comes down to what kind of person we are. If you want a good marriage, let the character of Christ (and I Corinthians 13 and Galatians 5:22-23) shine through in your life. If you want to have a good relationship with a potential Mr. or Mrs. Right, let the character of Christ (and I Corinthians 13 and Galatians 5:22-23) shine through in your life. If you want to be a good friend, let the character of Christ (and I Corinthians 13 and Galatians 5:22-23) shine through in your life. You get the idea.

Whether you’re married, dating, single, a friend, a family member – anyone with any kind of relationship – be Mr. Right in that relationship.  Be Mrs. Right in that relationship. Let the character of Christ shine through in your life.