Before we get into this, let’s just take a second to clarify
the term soul mate so as to ensure
that we’re all on the same page.
As I see it, there are two main ways we can use this term:
- Option 1: Someone (a mate) you’ve grown to know and love on the soul level – which includes the mind,
will, and emotions.
- Option 2: Someone (a mate) you feel was created specifically for you and vice
versa.
If you’re someone who believes in option one, we’re totally
tracking. After being in a relationship with someone for a while, it is not
only possible but inevitable that your souls will become intertwined. In most cases that’s
good. It’s something we should all hope for in friends and family, not just a
spouse – though a spouse will likely know you more intimately than anyone else.
If you’re someone who believes in option two, I was right there with you for quite some time. But let me share with you
a few things I’ve discovered since.
God is sovereign
The truth is, yes God does prepare someone for you, but it’s
not like as He was forming you, He took a chunk of your soul and placed it in some
guy and did the same for the guy so that neither of you would feel complete
until you found your missing half. Free will knows no exception when it comes to the
choices we make, including the realm of relationships, so it’s important for us
to realize that God doesn’t make the choice for us. I mean think about it. Why would God give us the freedom to make every other decision in life but whom we should marry?
Instead, what’s really happening is that God – who knows what we’re
thinking even before we think it – is working behind the scenes to work our
decisions for our good. He sees what’s in our hearts, the kind of person we’ll
be as Jesus continues the good work he started in us, and He knows who we will
eventually choose as a spouse. In His sovereign wisdom He merely begins
preparing you and your spouse for what only He knows will come.
Every step you take
When I married my husband I could have easily claimed that
he was my soul mate. During our engagement phase, when we shared the visions
God had given each of us for our individual lives, it was like his vision was
filling in certain gaps in my vision and my vision was expanding the territory of his
vision. It was literally a perfect overlap.
It’s easy for us as humans to just assume that relationships
like this must mean that God ordained us to be together from the beginning of
time, but that really is only demonstrating a limited understanding of who God
is. Our God is so sovereign, so wise, so powerful, that He can take whatever
choice we make and turn it into something that reaches far beyond our
expectations. He's not limited by our decisions.
To tell you the truth, when I first met my husband he wasn’t very
serious about his relationship with God and I couldn’t have ever seen myself in
a relationship with him. In fact, I avoided him for a number of years for that
very reason. Years later, by the time God got finished working in both of
us, we couldn’t see anything but how good we were for each other. That was no
one but God.
With every step we
take, He’s not only watching us, but He’s working all things together for our
good.
The true lover of our
souls
Some Sadducees once brought up a good point when
they approached the good teacher to ask a very important question:
“If a woman marries and the husband dies and she marries each of the six brothers, which man’s wife will she be in heaven?”
Jesus of course had the easiest answer to ease their
concerns, “None. She will be mine.”
Doesn’t that give you chills?
If there is any person in heaven or on earth that we can
claim is our soul mate, it’s Jesus. Life on this earth is only preparation for
the ultimate wedding day we’ll have with the King of all kings, the fairest of ten thousand. To give his title of soul
mate to any one man honestly cheapens the reality that we are to be living in
each day as a bride betrothed to another.
Now I’m speaking to you as someone who is married, so I can
give a bit of perspective from the other side. No matter how deeply you love
someone or how perfectly you feel they match your personality, likes and
dislikes, or even your spirituality, they can never compare to the lover of
your soul.
Throughout our lives God will connect us with numerous
people that we will develop strong soul ties to, and for some of you that
number may include a husband. God designed us this way, and it’s truly
beautiful. As we choose to yield to the direction of the Holy Spirit He will do
the work He does best: refining us and transforming us into a pure and spotless
bride, so that one day we will finally meet our true soul mate, the one created
for us from the beginning of time, and what an incredible day that will be.
Once again, if you're reading this post, I'd love to hear from you. What's your perspective on soul mates? Do you agree or disagree?
Until next time!
S'ambrosia is a
published author and singer-songwriter with a heart to see God's people
experience deep levels of intimacy with Him. She currently lives in
Kenya with her husband where they are beginning a ministry called The Joshua Blueprint, which aims to come alongside existing children's homes to teach children various expressions of worship.
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