The Joy of Singleness

It is amazing how much God can transform hearts to find splendor in the most mundane and annoying of things...such as Valentine's day. Yesterday was a very good day, and the fact that I was single didn't affect how I felt. This was new for me. Granted, like any normal human being, I do wish for marriage and that relationship. It has been a new thing for me to fight my flesh and be content in this time given by God to use my singleness for a purpose. And that is what it is, a time of purpose for the Kingdom of God. I kept thinking about 1 Corinthians 7, the infamous passages about Paul's view of singleness. He viewed it as a blessing. It wasn't just a few from an ordinary man though. Paul's outlook and mindset was complete run by the Spirit, so all that was written was God-breathed, just as much as the commands given for holy living and spiritual courage that are all throughout his letters. Paul's encouragement of positively using our singleness for the glory of God was no mistake or option. I love this about that passage as well. He makes it clear that our singleness is, in a sense, just as important or blessed as marriage is.

Our culture hates this idea. It makes us feel useless and unloved when the world around us is full of couples, betrothed (to use biblical speech), and married couples. It is especially hard here on campus when every other convo speaker talks about relationships and marriage or your friends get engaged in droves. It is almost inevitable to not get slightly frustrated and sad about our current position in life...if we don't look at it the way Paul explains. It is why it is there. I feel like sometimes we think God doesn't realize what it does to us emotionally, or that maybe He has overlooked us somehow. If that were the case, he wouldn't have such encouragement or a provision for it. That passage is our provision for this stage in our life, and for many this stage isn't just a phase but a lifestyle. If someone lives a life of singleness, then they should be praised and encouraged for the fact that their minds and hearts get to be souly focused on the Lord and the people He wants them to reach. The demand on their life has more freedom attached, as Paul says, to do this. What a gift such people have, and God will bless them for their obedience.

For the rest of us, we must wait and keep our eyes on Christ. If we don't we will dwell in our singleness as if it is a prison instead of what it should be considered. We cannot let culture and pressure be the way we measure our success or our current joy. As easy as it can be, it is spiritually draining and deadly. In Philippians 2:14 it talks about doing nothing with complaining and grumbling. In the spectrum of singleness, this is a great way to start living in a practical way toward succesful singleness, or rather passionate singleness. We can live our single time in full passion for Christ and for others, just as much as if we did it in a partnership with a husband (or wife). We are given a community of believers for this reason. We aren't truly alone in our discipleship and ministry.

Read 1 Corinthians 7 in your Bible. I don't put a lot of these verses in here because I want you to discover these things on your own, in your own translation, so it makes you take some effort. This is a principle that takes more than just reading a passage, but applying it and praying for strength and consistency in doing so. Enjoy the discovery and the process! Be blessed!