Hey people
It’s valentines weekend, and I thought I’d share a bit more about my christian single journey AND….. Introduce you to some of my friends!!! This is my valentines gift to you all! Once again thanks to all those who faithfully read my blog posts 😊.
Today’s post features one of my best friend’s, who goes by the name C.W. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy her beautifully written piece of art!
Top 10 Tips For Singles on Valentines Day
These times can be overwhelming for people, especially the commercial Valentine’s holiday. There is nothing wrong with celebrating Valentine’s day but if you find yourself getting depressed during this time, then maybe you need to do some extra work to take care of yourself.
Have a look at some of these suggested tools and tips below to navigate a mindful and Godly Valentine’s weekend for singles.
1)Take Time Out
Pray, meditate or read a book. Take some quality time for you, even if it’s sitting in your car or going to your bedroom. Listen to a devotional or a positive message. It’s important during the over-saturation of marketing to check in and take time to listen to yourself.
Matthew 14:23 – After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.
Luke 5:16 – But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
2)Log out of the apps
Are we using our phone or is the phone using you?
Schedule a time when you log out of the apps and have discipline about it. Try to avoid endless scrolling by setting time reminders on your phone and recognising that what’s presented on Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter etc is just a curated small snapshot. It’s not the WHOLE STORY.
Psalm 39:4 – LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered how fleeting my life is.
Exodus 20:4 – You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.
3)Treat Yourself (within budget)
Have a look and see what is in budget for you and treat yourself to something. It could be your favourite snack or a tech accessory. It’s OK to treat yourself reasonably and enjoy the fruits of your labour.
Proverbs 21:20 – The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down.
Proverbs 21:5 – The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.
4)Exercise
Fresh air is also very important especially during the pandemic. If you are finding the weekend’s Valentine’s content too much, get your trainers on and go for a walk or bike ride.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Jeremiah 31:25 – I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.
5)Build Relationships outside of a “Relationship”.
Codependency is never healthy. Try to build relationships professionally and personally outside of a romantic context. You can attend a digital workshop, update your Linkedin, and speak to someone new at church. Hopefully, having positive relationships will help you grow and evolve into a better person.
Luke 5:18-19 – Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 – Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
6)Set Clear Boundaries
If you are being interrogated or questioned by work colleagues or family members on your love life you can set a boundary in your response. You don’t have to reveal your personal life at work or inform your Auntie on your ‘type’. You can politely just say you are well and content or firmly say you keep your personal life private. The roads have rules, shops have opening times and houses have measurements (even the Bible talks about the specific construction from Ezekiel Chapter 40). Having clear boundaries are essential and you should implement them in a way that works best in your life.
Suggested lines you can use:
• “Thank you for your question, I know it comes from a good place but I always keep my personal life separate from my work life. I am happy and well and hope we can continue working together well. Thank you for understanding and being respectful.”
• “I am good thank you.”
• “I rather keep discussions here work-focused even during break times. I just value my privacy and hope you can respect my personal boundaries.”
• Or you can just simply walk away if you think that is the best strategy. Sometimes offer to do an external task to keep yourself busy away from unnecessary chatter and gossip.
Matthew 7:6 – Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
1 Thessalonians 4:11 – And to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you,
Matthew 5:29 – If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
Colossians 4:6 – Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Proverbs 15:1 – A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
7)Be Happy For Others
You may see your colleagues/friends getting engaged, married, welcoming newborns or celebrating relationship milestones. Sometimes we can get envious or feel like we are totally behind others. Flip that mindset around and be happy for others. The happy moment is their blessing. Engage with celebration social media content gracefully and not from a place of inadequacy or scrutiny. Be thankful to hear some good news for the day.
Proverbs 14:30 – A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body.
Romans 12:15 – Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
Proverbs 15:30 – Bright eyes gladden the heart; Good news puts fat on the bones.
8)Keep Moving Forward
You may have been in a relationship or been through a difficult breakup. An ex is an ex for a reason. Move on from an ex to what is NEXT. Take the lessons from that situation and keep stepping forward. No one is perfect, we have all made mistakes. Pray that God will break the stronghold of past relationships, soul ties in your mind/spirit and finally draw a line under that experience. That ship has sailed. Forgive yourself and others to better things ahead.
Isaiah 43:18 – Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.
Psalm 32:8 – I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Proverbs 4:25 – Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.
John 5:8 – Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.”
1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
9)Schedule a catch up with a friend
If you know that you are likely to be feeling bad during Valentines, schedule a meeting with a friend and organise an activity or walk. Programming an activity can help structure the day and avoid the emptiness you might feel.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 – Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Psalm 133:1 – How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!
Proverbs 27:23 – Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds,
Habakkuk 2:2 – And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.
10)Clean your Room
It may be your wardrobe, bathroom, garage, garden, makeup collection or your entire room. This can help some people feel renewed and ensures your space is a healthy place to live in. Then sit back and feel relaxed in your clean space.
Proverbs 13:4 – The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.
2 Timothy 2:15 – Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
I hope you can find at least a couple of these tips constructive for the weekend. Whether you are celebrating this weekend with someone special or alone, remember God’s love is the ultimate one.
John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Thank you, God Bless.