"My standards are too high and I need to lower them to find someone."
How it sounds in your head: You've been told you're too picky, that no one will meet your list, that you need to be realistic. Maybe your desire for someone who loves Jesus, treats you well, and has ambition is asking too much. Maybe you should compromise on the faith thing, or overlook some red flags, or just be grateful someone is interested at all.
"Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart."
-- Psalm 37:4World + religion - pressure to settle sold as 'realistic' wisdom and humble expectations.
You've been single while watching people with lower standards get into relationships. The advice from older people is always to 'lower your expectations' and 'no one is perfect,' which makes your standards feel like pride or pickiness.
God told Solomon to ask for ANYTHING. Solomon asked for wisdom, and God said 'Because you asked for THIS instead of lowering your request, I'm giving you wisdom AND riches AND honor AND long life - things you didn't even ask for.' God rewards aiming HIGH, not settling LOW.
I REFUSE the lie that I need to lower my standards to be loved. IT IS WRITTEN that God GIVES me the desires of my heart, which means my desires aren't too much - they're prophetic of what He's preparing. I'm not being picky; I'm being PROTECTED from settling for less than God's best. IT IS WRITTEN that I am BARAK-blessed, which means FAVOR that brings me the HEAD and not the tail, ABOVE ONLY and not beneath - why would I accept beneath when God promises above? My standards aren't too high; the enemy's offers are too LOW. My Father isn't asking me to compromise - He's running toward me with EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY ABOVE all I could ask or think, which means BETTER than my list, not worse.
Your Father sees people telling you to settle and He's furious - not at you, but FOR you. He's running toward you with the robe that says WORTHY OF THE BEST, not because you've earned it, but because He doesn't do leftovers with His beloved daughter. What He has for you will make your standards look like you were aiming too LOW.