I heard on the radio yesterday that single people;
- Have more friends
- Are more fit
- Have more free time, therefore are more productive
And I couldn’t agree more… if I’ve learned anything over the last few years by getting married and then having a child, it’s that these very important fundamentals in life gradually (or very, very suddenly) become less of a priority and ability. Not because of lack of friendliness towards friends, or a lack of value for exercise, but because God calls me daily to serve. My time (“my life”) is not my own.
My goal in writing this is to encourage (“But continually encourage one another every day, as long as it is called ‘Today’ [and there is an opportunity], so that none of you will be hardened [into settled rebellion] by the deceitfulness of sin [its cleverness, delusive glamour, and sophistication].” Hebrews 3:13 AMP) and fair warning, this may be geared more towards the girls because, after all, I am one. Guys take what you can get out of it I guess.
Ladies one of my more convicting moments as a single woman was finding this verse;
“Whereas she who lives for pleasure and self-indulgence is spiritually dead even while she still lives.” -1 Timothy 5:6 AMP
and this quote; “Single life may be only a stage of a life’s journey, but even a stage is a gift. God may replace it with another gift, but the receiver accepts His gifts with thanksgiving. This gift for this day. The life of faith is lived one day at a time, and it has to be lived—not always looked forward to as though the “real” living were around the next corner. It is today for which we are responsible. God still owns tomorrow.” -Elisabeth Elliot, “Let Me be a Woman”
As a woman who still wrestles with selfishness, and is in the next “gift” or life stage than you might be, please hear my words! Don’t be deceived by the “delusive glamour” of self-indulgence.
You have so much free time and flexibility as a single person, and it is an amazing blessing!
(Side note: we’ve been the recipient of that blessing… y’all have helped Josh, Augustus and I out so much already with things like meals, free baby sitting, and understanding when we say “no” over and over again to your invitations. Thank you all so much for your love and support to us who don’t have as much time or energy to give to you as we used to give.)
So since Valentine’s is over, don’t throw yourself a pity party about what you don’t have, but what you do have… I’m not saying I regret marriage or our baby, but I would regret my previous stage of singleness if I only used it to serve myself. (Which there were plenty of times I did…)
And if it’s love, attention, or companionship you missed yesterday, there is always only one who can completely fulfill those desires… take a guess. 😉
If you’d like more reading I really appreciated this post from Noah awhile ago…
http://thirdplace.cc/blog/2015/11/05/beautiful/