We do it to ourselves more than we realize.

We marry the guy who asks us because we don’t think anybody else is coming along and after all – we’re not getting any younger. So we settle for a relationship we should never have stepped into and then grieve when it dissolves.

We buy a house we don’t really want and spend money we don’t really have, because we can’t find exactly the right place and we’re desperate to own our own home.

We take the first job offered to us because we need some money to pay the bills, even though we know it isn’t a good fit. Then we stay there for years and years because we’re afraid of trying something new.

Sometimes we settle because we don’t really know what we want. We’re just grasping for something to fill the holes inside.

Sometimes we settle because we’re comparing ourselves to another woman, forgetting that she probably settled, too.

But usually we settle because we’re afraid of doing the hard work. We don’t want to wait for that right guy or that right job because we’re afraid if we don’t choose something, we’ll lose our chance.

We’re afraid to fail and sometimes we’re afraid to succeed.

So we settle. Then we hate ourselves and the situation we’re in, because once again – we’ve settled for something or someone we don’t really want.

So how do we stop settling?

Ask yourself – do I really want this relationship? Is this the best guy for me? Do we share the same core values?

Do I really want this house / this job? Do I believe life can be better than just settling?

Can I make a better choice that reflects who I really am and find happiness within that choice?

Wait for the best and don’t settle for anything less.

After all, God sent His best for you – His perfect and only Son. And God has a wonderful plan for your life. Don’t settle for less than God’s best for you.

2013 GateWay of Hope Ministries – The Helping Place for Hurting Women