Thursday, March 16, 2006

Take the first step

It was during 2000 that Michael McNeely revealed he initially had some trepidation about making the single's covenant. “When I first thought about making a covenant, there was a certain fear,” he said. “It was more than just telling myself that I won’t have sex. Making a covenant is more serious. It’s a binding thing – it’s finality.” Michael, who at the time was the single’s ministry leader at Word Of Faith Family Worship Cathedral.

“When you make the covenant God will come in and become a partner to that thing,” Bishop Bronner said (you remember him. He’s the pastor at WOF Cathedral). “That means that we take that thing seriously at that point. Most people don’t trust themselves well enough to make the covenant because they’re like, ‘Lord, I don’t want to play with you and I’m scared that if I make this covenant that I will not be able to keep it.’”

Michael said that once he’d made his covenant, celibacy became easier to maintain. God gave him a supernatural strength to abstain until marriage, he said.

Making a covenant with God is just the first step. “Without us taking our first step, He can’t take His two steps. Singles must walk by faith (that’s an action) and God will help to fulfill that covenant,” Michael said.

Update: Michael is now happily married to Jennifer.
To love a person is to learn the song that is in their heart, and to sing it to them when they have forgotten. —Anonymous

1 comment:

Petula said...

Miss Miller :-), Thank you so much for your response and encouraging words. I am thrilled to hear about your commitment. If you ever need someone to talk to, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me. Thank you for sharing the information with your class. Continue to "stand" ... you will be blessed.