Your beliefs are a core part of creating a life He loves and you enjoy. So, this week’s article, the twelfth blog post in my summer series on relationships, is about what you believe. It’s also a reprint from our (Reggie and my) A Stitch in Time newsletter. I hope you enjoy reading today’s article whether reading for the first time or second!
I’m a sports fan, and one of the sporting events I like to watch is the Super Bowl. Three years ago, the New York Giants and New England Patriots played. At the time, the Patriots were undefeated at 18-0 and hoped to achieve the best record in NFL history. The only thing standing in their way was the Giants.
According to the sports broadcasters, “so-called” experts and armchair quarterbacks, this game would be a blowout. The point spread had the Patriots winning by at least 14. However, 53 individuals had other ideas; those 53 were the Giants. The game was a competitively close one. With a little over a minute left in the game, the Patriots finally took the lead.
Surely this was it. The Patriots would get the record as the only NFL team to go 19-0. However, with 38 seconds left in the game, the Giants scored the winning touchdown and won the game 17-14.
“We had the belief in each other that no matter what, we were going to win this game.”
Michael Strahan
What was it that worked in the Giant’s favor in spite of all the odds against them? What was it that kept them thinking they could still win this? What was it? In the post-game interviews, Giants defensive end Michael Strahan said, “We had the belief in each other that no matter what, we were going to win this game.”
And that’s what I want to focus on: WHAT’S YOUR BELIEF? All too many times, we go by what others say and even by what we see take place with others. This is true even in relationships. And this belief goes both ways. Because of what others say or what others do, we conclude either “I can’t be single,” or “I can’t be in a relationship.” However, the REAL ISSUE is what do you believe?
In life, the question is never what others say I can or can’t do. The question always comes down to what you believe. For example, when it came to being in a relationship with Dawn, it never was a question of what others thought or said. And, it wasn’t even what I thought about past relationships. The question was and always will be, “What do I BELIEVE now?”
For instance, instead of believing that women only like bad boys, I believe that being a gentleman is still valuable. I also choose to believe that being nice does not always mean you will finish last as the saying goes.
Until next time,
Reggie
Summer Series on Relationships:
- Part One – Preparing for a relationship by spending time alone with God.
- Part Two – Some tips from my late husband Reginald Sanders on how to spend time alone with God.
- Part Three – Who should take initiative in a relationship and when.
- Part Four – Protecting your significant other’s tender spots and vulnerabilities.
- Part Five – Getting your priorities in order.
- Part Six – Healing past pain.
- Part Seven – Overcoming trust issues.
- Part Eight – Overcoming fear.
- Part Nine – Valuing women.
- Part Ten – Honesty in a relationship.
- Part Eleven – The cause of your discomfort.
- Part Twelve – Your beliefs.
- Part Thirteen – Believe quickly.
- Part Fourteen – At the heart of good relationships is friendship.
- Part Fifteen – Real, genuine brothers and sisters-in-Christ.
Questions:
- What do you believe about relationships?
- How does knowing your belief is key make you feel?
- Acknowledge both positive and negative emotions and why you feel them.
