Is this the right relationship for me?

Sally H. Smith

I Was struggling over whether to end a relationship with a male friend. Although I was very comfortable in his presence, I nevertheless felt insecure because of what I perceived in him as a fear of commitment and a tendency to assert control over me.

My anxiety and uncertainty about the relationship motivated me to turn completely to God for inspiration, for direction, and for freedom. I found encouragement in these words in the book of Isaiah: "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness" (41:10). I cherished this assurance of God's care for me.

I thought about the reliable relation of Father-Mother God to man, His beloved child. The realization that I had such a tender relation to divine Love brought me immediate comfort and encouragement. But how could the understanding of my secure, satisfying, unchanging relation to God help me to distinguish between a beneficial and a detrimental human relationship?

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