Singleness

singleness is a privilege!
By: Amanda McLendon
Sunday, March 7, 2010 at 3:11pm
I know right off, crazy title. Singleness is a privilege?! I must be crazy, right?! But at the moment, after God hitting me over the head, I think I can say that and honestly mean it. In our culture, no, it's not a privilege. The culture, which serves Satan incase you didn't know, wants us to believe that we need a person of the opposite sex to complete us. I mean there's the famous movie line, "You complete me." Well last time I read my Bible it told me not to be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be renewed by the transforming of my mind. (Romans 12:2) So let's throw the culture's beliefs and ideas out the window. As believers, that is NOT what we are called to follow. We are called to follow the Truth of God and if you're wondering where you find His truth, it's in that thing we call a Bible. For some, it's that book sitting by your bed you thumb through when you finally get to a point you think you need God or if your like me you study the heck out of it to teach others and forget sometimes it's there to speak to you. His truth is right there and that is what we should turn to every moment of every day to know what principles and truths should guide our thinking and the way we live.

Ok, so that rant is over, so what about singleness. What would make me say something as crazy as singleness is a privilege?! Because God's Word, the thing I just talk about being the truth that should guide our lives as believers, says so! 1 Corinthians 7 talks about singleness believe it or not. If you don't, check it out. It talks about how married men and women have divided attention. (Now please don't think I'm turning into a bitter person who is about to bash marriage. Marriage is clearly a beautiful thing God has instituted, but I'm simply seeing the beauty also found in singleness. Shoot, I hope to be married someday!) Ok, so back to 1 Corinthians 7. It also talks about how an unmarried man or woman is anxious about the things of the Lord and how to please the Lord. They can also have undivided attention for the Lord. So what's the privilege? God giving you the opportunity to be fully devoted to Him! Perhaps God has something he wants to accomplish in your life and He needs you to be single in that season for that to happen. Perhaps God is protecting you from a relationship disaster that could pull your attention from Him. Maybe God needs to teach you that ONLY HE can complete you, not some other person. Why do we try so hard to be completed by things that are created instead of the one who created everything?

God has purpose in EVERYTHING. I heard a guy speak this weekend on Acts 17 when Paul proclaims THE GOD to the people of Athens. THE God who created everything. Please take some time to read Acts 17:24-27. Just see how incredibly great and awesome our God is! In there it talks about how basically He determined all that would happen. And the beauty of it all is in v. 27. The purpose in everything He has determined would happen is that people would seek God and find Him. So if you are like me and you find yourself single, or maybe in some other situation or season in life that maybe you just honestly flat out don't like, see that God has purpose in it. Start with just seeking God. He has a purpose in it. You can trust Him. I mean, He created you and knows you better than you know yourself. Please know, these are the things I keep having to say over and over to myself.

So singleness, throw out what the world says about it and maybe even what people in your own Christian circles say. It truly is a privilege. God has purpose in it. You have the opportunity to give your undivided attention to God. Please don't think I'm saying this as someone who has it all together because I most definitely don't. But the more I fix my mind on what HIS truth says, the more He changes my heart and my attitude. And I give you full permission that if you run into me on a day that I'm buying into what the world says, remind me of His truth. :)