3 Signs God Might Still Put You Two Together

Were you connecting deeply with someone, but for some reason, things seem different now? Is this a trial you two need to push through, or is this the beginning of the end?

While we can’t know the future, there are often some helpful clues that point to a renewed connection. Therefore, here are 3 signs the Lord might be saying, “It’s not over.”

1. If a Trial Is Causing Progression Rather than Regression, This Is a Sign God Is Saying, “It’s Not Over”

Trials are not the mark of a crumbling connection. In fact, trials are a necessary test to see what kind of connection you two really have. If the bond is never tested, it can’t be fully trusted. Only after surviving some trials can a man and woman know for certain that God wants them together.

In an entirely different context, in Acts 15:36-41, we are told that Paul and Barnabas split over their disagreement about Mark. Paul felt Mark was unfit to travel with them because he had abandoned them on their previous journey, but Barnabas wanted to give him another chance. At this point in the story, they couldn’t see eye to eye, so they went their separate ways, Barnabas taking Mark and Paul taking Silas.

But somewhere along the line, God must have spoken to Paul and said something like, “It’s not over.” Why? Because in 2 Timothy 4:11, Paul wrote, “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.” We don’t know all the details that led to this reconciliation, but clearly the dissension was not permanent, and this disagreement eventually led to progression.

Likewise, trials and disagreements happen in relationships all the time. Sometimes these trials cause splits that last for good, and sometimes these splits are only temporary. You will know the difference by the presence of progression in the issue.

If the regression just keeps going, it really is over. But if regression is only momentary and then the Lord uses this trial to bring progression, this is a sign that God is saying, “It’s not over.”

2. If Both You and the Other Side Are Willing to Work Through the Barriers, This Is a Sign God Is Saying, “It’s Not Over”

For progression to occur in a relationship, there must be mutual willingness. If the willingness to overcome the barriers is only one-sided, this relationship is really over. For example:

• Perhaps you are romantically connected to someone, but you are currently in a long-distance relationship. If only one of you wants to move but the other is fine with long-distance, this relationship won’t flourish. Both people should want to overcome the distance (eventually) so they could be together if the relationship is meant to last.
• Or maybe you are having a communication issue. If one person doesn’t want to work through it, the relationship is over. But if you both want to figure out how to communicate better, the relationship doesn’t need to be over.
• Or maybe your families don’t approve of this connection because they don’t value biblical goals for relationships like you two do. If this pressure from your families is pulling you apart, the relationship is over. But if the pressure from your families is actually pushing you even closer together, it is a good sign that God is saying this is not over.

So you have to be sober-minded (1 Peter 5:8) about the effects an issue is having. In dating, you must be careful not to give grace in ways that are unfit for dating. In other words, there are certainly very good reasons a non-married couple should accept that their relationship is over. When you offer endless chances and stay together in a relationship, you often get trapped in something you should have escaped (1 Corinthians 10:13).

However, if both sides are willing to work through something and there is good fruit as a result (Ephesians 4:15-16), this is a sign that God is saying, “It’s not over.”

3. If Time Apart Is Producing More Clarity Rather than More Confusion, This Is a Sign God Is Saying, “It’s Not Over”

Sometimes you cannot clearly see what is happening in a relationship while you are in the middle of it. Strong emotions can make it difficult to distinguish between what you truly believe God is leading you toward and what you simply want to happen.

This is why time apart can sometimes be very revealing. When a relationship is really over, the time apart will solidify your differences and reduce your motivation to work through the trials that caused the separation. However, if the time apart has allowed all the emotions clouding your true desires to die down, and now you both realize how much you care about each other, that could mean God is saying, “It’s not over.”

Proverbs 20:25 says, “It is a snare to say rashly, ‘It is holy,’ and to reflect only after making vows.” Notice that word “reflect.” To avoid major relationship mistakes, we must take the time to really think about what is happening. While you certainly do not want to get into a cycle of separating and then coming back together, sometimes a separation can help you both reflect in this biblical way.