You Incorporated

So often I get folks asking me how long did I “date” my wife before I knew that I wanted to marry her.  With that question, I realized that what was really being asked was…did she meet all of my “wifey” requirements before I decided that she was the one to spend the rest of my life with.  Its like we give ourselves this time line or checklist to confirm our “knowing” that the person we’re currently dating is potentially the one that we’re going to spend the rest of our lives with. This leads me to the real question that I pose to you…WHAT IS DATING??!!

When I was single, and before I got for real about God, I viewed dating as marriage without the ring.  I literally thought that dating was enjoying the marriage without the commitment.  Almost like watching a movie trailer.   Getting just enough to keep me interested so that I would “consider” seeing the full movie.  Dating was, in my mind, a snapshot of what the rest of my life with this woman would look like.  Even if that involved sex!  So as you can see, I was like a lot of people, thought I knew, but had NO IDEA!!!

As I matured and began to develop in my relationship with God, I realized the importance of “Dating” or as I call it, “The get to know phase”.  Dating is an interviewing process.  Let’s say that you have your own company called  “You Incorporated”.  You put out a posting for a job opening at “You Incorporated” and you have outlined the type of candidate that would qualify for your position.   In your “interviewing” process, you will find that many people will do anything for a job.  They will say all of the right things to appear perfect.  They will present you with a list of references, but notice that  their primary objective is to charm you!  Some will fall short of your “list”, and some will be a perfect match.  Now, your job at “YOU Incorporated” is to choose the right one.

This is where it gets interesting.  Unlike an actual business, this is PERSONAL!  Finding the right candidate has absolutely nothing to do with meeting all of your criteria.  Rather, it has absolutely everything to do with being the right criteria for the candidate that you are looking for.  You will always attract what YOU are!  Successful businesses treat each employee as if they are the most valuable asset to the company.  By doing so, their employees in return make it their mission to serve their bosses.  So when it comes to finding the right candidate, you’ve got to be the right candidate.  Show the potential person your standard.  Be exactly what you would want to have in that person and you will have the perfect person for the job.  Ask the right questions, and get to know them for who they are, not for what they show you.  Don’t allow time or people to be a factor when it comes to “interviewing”.

Once you remove your focus from finding the “right one” to being the “right one”, you will discover that the only checklist that you actually need is Jesus! Seek ye first the kingdom of God and HIS righteousness, and all of these things will be added unto you (Matthew 6:33 KJV).  Jesus is the revealer of all truth and He will reveal the right person for the job! So don’t get anxious in trying to find the right person for “You Incorporated”, just make “You Incorporated” the right place to be!

*Study Matthew 6:30-34 MSG and allow His Words to define “You Incorporated”*