Singleness

Before you do and if you don’t get married. If you’re currently saying, engaged, complicated, etc you are single. If you are not married you are single.

We have all been single. We all start out single. So, what do we do in our singleness? As a way of life.

1 Corinthians 7:7 NLT But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. Yet each person has a special gift from God, of one kind or another.

Singleness is a gift, but the problem is that we treat it like a disease. He gave it to us for our benefit. What we want is not what’s best for us and what’s best for us is not always what we want.

Singleness is not the gift we want. If we believe God is loving and wise we must believe He gives us this gift for our good.

Romans 8:28 NLT And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

1 Corinthians 7:35 NLT I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.

We are called to promote what is appropriate.

1 Peter 5:6-7 MSG So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you.

1 Corinthians 7:17 NLT Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. This is my rule for all the churches.

We can take our time of singleness to recognize what is important. This time means to resist the pressures of conformity and to stand firm in our convictions and beliefs. Our singleness is not a limitation, but a divine calling.

Ephesians 4:1 NIV As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

We are called to secure an undistracted devotion to the Lord.

Dating can be a distraction, because most of us don’t date with God in mind we date with flesh in mind. None of us have enough Holy Spirit to get someone saved. That is not our responsibility. The point of dating is to gather data.

Our time is valuable. Unfortunately, we date like we are practicing for marriage. Marriage is not the goal. If we live our single season not in the gift that it is, we end up idolizing marriage.

1 Corinthians 7:28 NIV But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.

1 Corinthians 7:32-34 NIV I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband.

The antidote to distraction is devotion. We are commanded to devote our lives to God.

Reference the below for how we are called to have devotion to God:
Deuteronomy 6:5, 10:12, 11:13, 13:3, 30:6
Joshua 22:5
Matthew 22:37
Mark 12:30
Luke 10:27

Undistracted devotion to God is the goal. Dating and marriage is not the goal. Our love for God is the guide of how we allow others to interface in our lives. Our emotions are a signal and sign that we need to spend more time with Jesus, not that we need to find someone.

Loneliness means I am separated from my creator. We are not meant to be alone. He created us to be in community with Him at the center. His way is the chase after Him and He will order our steps.