Serving In Singleness...

I was sitting here thinking about relationships, marriages, patience and God's will and timing. What was so heavily impressed upon me was that we tend to pray, "Thy will be done..." yet we neglect to be mindful that God's ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts higher than our thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9) We become so intently focused on our flesh, our emotions, feelings of loneliness, and desiring to share a special kind of love with someone, that our spiritual vision becomes distorted. We sometimes even see things in people that really aren't there at all, simply because we're looking for what "we" want to see. God gave us instructions, to love Him, seek him first, keep Him first, wait on Him, trust Him, and He shall bring these things to pass.... IN HIS PERFECT TIMING, not ours. I recently read something that said, "Single is not a status..." and it isn't. It's a season for some of us, and a state & time of preparation for all of us. Being single, alone, unmarried, is the time we're to take to grow in the Word, to grow in Christ, to develop an intimate relationship with God, so that we WILL be fully prepared to become and grow together as one with whom He chooses to unite us with, according to His kingdom purpose, for our marriages are just that... kingdom marriages. This day and age, our marriages are to serve as ministries, each serving it's own kingdom purpose. Take heed... God knows the desires of our hearts. Let yourself go, give yourself away to God, let Him have His way, and be still in Him. I'm amazed that I've actually sat down & typed this, knowing that to one day be wed, according to His will, is a desire of my own heart, yet that's no secret. So, as I minister to you, I minister to myself. Here's what the Apostle Paul had to say...

"God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world. Each of you, dear brothers and sisters, should remain as you were when God first called you. Now regarding your question about the young women who are not yet married. I do not have a command from the Lord for them. But the Lord in his mercy has given me wisdom that can be trusted, and I will share it with you. Because of the present crisis, I think it is best to remain as you are. If you have a wife, do not seek to end the marriage. If you do not have a wife, do not seek to get married. But if you do get married, it is not a sin. And if a young woman gets married, it is not a sin. However, those who get married at this time will have troubles, and I am trying to spare you those problems. But let me say this, dear brothers and sisters: The time that remains is very short. So from now on, those with wives should not focus only on their marriage. Those who weep or who rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions. Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away. I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. His interests are divided. In the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be devoted to the Lord and holy in body and in spirit. But a married woman has to think about her earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband. 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. But if a man thinks that he’s treating his fiancée improperly and will inevitably give in to his passion, let him marry her as he wishes. It is not a sin. But if he has decided firmly not to marry and there is no urgency and he can control his passion, he does well not to marry. So the person who marries his fiancée does well, and the person who doesn’t marry does even better."  - 1 Cor. 7:23-38 (NLT)