Act Like A Man

A Man’s Love Story

He writes the pages of the storybook of our lives, and just like how mundane writers do it, every part, every segment, every word has a purpose, a meaning, and a connection to the bigger picture of our lives.

from Tumblr

            Everyone has his or her own belief about a perfect love story.  It’s a very personal opinion because we have different experiences and we differ in what makes our heart melt—the kurot-sa-puso effect.

            I’ve loved writing ever since I was a kid, and growing up, I learned to look at how different authors have their own writing style.  My favorite would have to be Nicholas Sparks and his romance novels.  Call it cheesy, but for me, his novels are one of my heart-tuggers.  But I must admit, his works are fictional.  It feels great to imagine myself as one of the characters in his novels, deeply in love and stuck in the moment. His works have honestly influenced how I view love, relationships, and the like for the longest time, until I realized, through the help of Kuya Joey, one of my mentors, that there’s a glitch in what I’ve been holding on to for so long.

Our modernized world

            We are influenced by the world around us—media, friends, family, school and the like—and every time we learn something new, there’s a chance that this new knowledge will influence and have an impact on us.  So what’s wrong with that?  We put our faith on things that are changing.  This is one of the reasons why things that work for other people may not exactly work for smoothly for us.  The ways of a friend in dealing with studies may not work great if we try it out ourselves.

            So what can we do?  We can base our beliefs on something concrete and constant.  The Bible doesn’t teach us methods or step-by-step instructions on what to do.  It teaches us principles from which we can base what we should think and do.

            I’ve discovered four steps in getting the love stories of our lives in sync with God’s plan.

First is to open our hearts to God’s plan.  If his will is pleasing and perfect, then what’s there to worry about?  It’s our faith in Him that our love stories will begin to make sense.  We need to trust in His plan for us and open our hearts to the many possibilities.  It may not turn out the way we want it to, but just let God do His wonders.

Second is to learn the principles through reading the Bible.  Let’s take it from a source that’s permanent and has been tried and tested for lifetimes.  Here are some verses we can reflect on: God-Breathed (2 Timothy 3:16,17) Please the Lord (1 Corinthians 7), View Things in God’s Perspective (Ephesians 5), The Unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14) and Being Filled With the Spirit (Galatians 5:22,23).

Third is to pray for God to remain the center of our lives in spite of waiting and searching for God’s revelation of His plan for us.  Pray for the strength to do His will and never get tired of pleasing Him.

Fourth is to pursue.  Men must do their part, too, but do so in line with the three previous insights.  Some other principles to reflect on before pursuing a girl: Timing (Song of Songs 3:5), Do Not Defraud (Mark 10:19), and Present Yourself and Your Intentions.

Jan and Tricia

Of course if our pursuit works out, we mustn’t forget to keep God in the center of our relationship.

When things seem to go wrong, ask yourself where your heart is.  Is it still centered on God?  We need to remember that even though things may get complicated, that relationships may become hard to deal with, God will make a way.  Just focus on Him.  He is the author of our lives, our love stories.  Let’s remember to spread the love, savor the moments, and do our parts—fall in love with Him more and more each day.  Just let God mold our hearts amidst the stones surrounding us, and help Him in molding the hearts of others.

Love and Nature

Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. (Hebrews 4:7 NIV)

Submitted the first draft to Ptr. Dennis Sy for his contest in his website.
Also inspired by one of his posts found here.