How to Thrive in Your Singleness

On day one, we learned of the gift of singleness. It may be hard to picture singleness signed, sealed, and delivered by God, and that’s ok. The tension between having earnest desires and trusting God with them is beautiful and sanctifying. It is the laying down of your wants and confessing to God, “not my will, but yours be done.” Can you imagine how your Heavenly Father delights in that prayer? 

Of course, this can be difficult to say about something as sensitive to our hearts as our relationship status. Today, Ben Stuart addresses the most likely second question percolating in your mind following day one, “Why would a loving God give some of us the gift of singleness when we want to be married?” 

As Ben tackles this question, he points us back to the main story, pressing into the importance of sharing our most crucial headline with those around us.

I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.

1 Corinthians 7:35

Your relationship status is not the headline of your story. Truthfully. Yes, it may be the first question you are asked at every family function; it may even be the first thing you think about most mornings, but in the economy of God, you are not walking around with a nametag that reads, “Hi, my name is SINGLE.”

We weren’t meant to hyper-fixate on our love lives. Without denying their importance, Ben Stuart reminded us that there is something, or someone, greater that we are meant to set our eyes on.

What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.

1 Corinthians 7:29

Do you see it? This is the main storyline: devoting our lives to telling people about our heavenly Father and the ultimate sacrifice He made on our behalf with urgency because the world is passing away.

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

Colossians 1:16

Here’s something that we all know to be true: we will face much pain if we start looking to other people for things only God can provide. How many times have you felt this? Maybe it was a family member or a friend. Whenever we search for our eternal purpose in temporary things, their ability to hold up to that expectation will eventually fail. This is true regardless of your relationship status.

No boyfriend or girlfriend, fiance, or husband or wife can replace the satisfaction of a relationship with God Almighty, and no one’s calling to being a spouse supersedes their calling to be a son or daughter of God and on mission for God.