[Faith-talk] FW: [C F 4 A] Today's Encouragement, Tuesday, Jun 7, 2011

Tue Jun 7 16:44:05 UTC 2011

Original Message: 
From: "Stephanie Mathews" <smathews at hctc.net>
To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:;>
Subject: [C F 4 A] Today's Encouragement, Tuesday, Jun 7, 2011
Date: 
Tue, 7 Jun 2011 09:33:49 -0500

Soul Mates | Encouragement For Today | Proverbs 31 MinistriesJune 7, 2011

Soul Mates Rachel Olsen 
"People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths
will slip and fall." Proverbs 10:9 (NLT) 

She was single and had been at peace with that . until his words stirred
up feelings of loneliness and longings for affection. He was married with
children. 

Here she was a Christian who suddenly found herself in desperate need of
clarity and support. She was falling into an emotional affair and wanted to
talk with me about it. 

A former boyfriend contacted her out of the blue. At first it was a fun
blast from the past to hear his voice and find out what he was up to. But
it didn't take long before he confessed he had been thinking about her,
missing her. 

He told her his marriage wasn't doing well, and hinted that he longed to
be with her again. Sure enough, feelings of attraction bubbled to the
surface of her heart. My friend said she and this man had not reconnected
face-to-face, but they were reconnecting voice-to-voice, mind-to-mind, and
heart-to-heart through the computer and phone. 

Have you ever had the feeling someone else is really meant to be your
soul mate? 

Once someone pledges themselves to another in marriage before God, they
essentially become soul mates. "A man leaves his father and mother and is
joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. Since they are no
longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together."
(Mark 10:7b-9 NLT) 

Years ago I witnessed a woman begin an emotional affair with a man she
"had more in common with" than her husband. Never mind the fact that she
had her school-aged children in common with her husband. She was eventually
confronted by members of her church, but did not end the relationship. She
is divorced today. 

We have to be honest with ourselves and with God. Jesus said we can
commit adultery in our minds (Matthew 5:28); we can also commit an affair
in our hearts. Plus, an emotional affair is often just the beginning stages
of a physical one. 

My friend struggling with this is single, but the man she's falling for
is not. This isn't just a "married women's issue." We all have to guard our
hearts. The Bible says they are the wellspring of our lives. 

If you are in some type of affair now, I urge you to end it. Stop feeding
that addiction. Run quickly from sexual immorality. Change your phone
number, your email address and your daily routine if necessary to avoid
him. Thankfully, my friend stopped speaking with her temptation. 

If you are not entangled in this presently, guard yourself from falling
into the trap. Be alert to slippery slopes. Don't go trolling the internet
to check on past loves. Beware confiding anything too personal, especially
your marriage woes, to members of the opposite sex - find a female friend
or counselor to talk to instead. Have an accountability partner
periodically ask you how you're doing in this area. And if you are married,
invest in your marriage. 

Finally, let's turn our attention to the One who is Love (1 John 4:8) and
who knows our hearts better than anyone else can. Let's draw near to Christ
who is truly our souls' mate. We can safely satisfy our hearts in His. 

Dear Lord, strengthen my friends to do what is right. And help me keep
pure - mind, heart, body and soul. In Jesus' Name, Amen. 

Related Resources: Do You Know Your Soul's Mate - the One you were made
for? 

Confessions of an Adulterous Woman: Lies that got me there, Truths that
brought me back by Lyndell Hetrick Holtz 

It's No Secret: Revealing Divine Truths Every Woman Should Know by Rachel
Olsen 

Continue the conversation on this topic with Rachel at her blog, and
enter there to win a copy of her book It's No Secret: Revealing Divine
Truths Every Woman Should Know. 

Application Steps: Read Jesus' words to a woman caught in adultery in
John 8:1-11. 

Invest in your marriage - these marriage books are helpful resources. 

Reflections: Am I guarding my heart? 

Am I inappropriately flirting? 

What is the current intimacy level in my marriage? In my relationship
with God? 

Power Verses: Psalm 51:10, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a
steadfast spirit within me." (NIV) 

Hebrews 10:22, "Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere
hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled
with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with
pure water." (NLT) 

Proverbs 31 Ministries 
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road, Matthews, NC 28105 
877-P31-HOME (877-731-4663)