When your current situation is single,
you’re trying to make sense of it and make the most of it,
and you stumble upon a soulful sentiment that makes singleness a whole lot sweeter:
That’s how I felt when I discovered Apostle Paul’s words to single Christians! If your current situation is single and you could use some sweetness, you’re in the right place!
Through 1 Corinthians 7, we join Christ-followers at the church in Corinth. They reached out to Apostle Paul with questions about the complicated marital challenges of their married members. Paul answered their questions in a letter, which is now in their hands.
His letter is filled with wise counsel on how to apply God’s Word in marriage relationships, and the best part, in my opinion, is Paul’s advice and encouragement to the single members. I think of churches today and how the myriad of needs of married members often overshadow the needs of single members. Paul remembers his single sisters and brothers in Christ, and it’s evident he values them. With respectfulness and tenderness, Paul calls out their profound potential!
1 Corinthians 7:32-35 / Paul’s letter
“I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed {engaged} woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband.”
Here’s the sweet part: “I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.”
This sweet sentiment is GOOD for the soul. Isn’t it refreshing to hear something beneficial about singleness?!
God inspired Paul’s words and placed his words in the Bible so that this truth would reach you: The greatest benefit of being single is experiencing and enjoying undivided devotion to Jesus. Here is how you can seize this sweet benefit:
View singleness as a gift.
“Now as a concession, not a command, I say this. I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.” -1 Corinthians 7:6-7
Paul views singleness as a gift from God. A key theme of his letter is that relationship with Jesus is the most important relationship in our lives. Singleness is a gift because it provides God’s people with the opportunity to seek Jesus, grow in Him, enjoy Him, and serve Him with “undivided devotion.”
It might warm your heart even more to know that Paul was single when he penned the letter. He speaks from experience when he states, “I wish that all were as I myself am.” Additionally, he recommends his single Christian sisters and brothers in Corinth remain single because he sees how the married ones are struggling.
View singleness as a calling.
“Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him.” -1 Corinthians 7:17
Paul views singleness as a calling from God. It’s a call to live out your powerful purpose as His image-bearer. Your “God assignment” in this season of your life is to seize the God-glorifying opportunities singleness provides.
Choose to be anxious about the things of the Lord.
“I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided.
And the unmarried or {engaged} woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband.” -1 Corinthians 7:32-34
Paul points out that married people have divided interests. They can’t focus solely on their relationship with Jesus. They have responsibility to provide for, care for, and please a spouse (and often a family). While fulfilling the marital commitment, husbands and wives face worldly concerns. The things of the world can easily distract them from their ultimate calling—to glorify God.
Believers living in Corinth were exposed to many worldly things. Corinth was a prosperous, wealthy city where self-indulgence and immorality were widely accepted and Christian beliefs rejected. Most of the marital struggles of believers there were common struggles for the culture of their city: affairs, separation, divorce, and more. God created these men and women to reflect His image to the world, yet many were reflecting the world’s image.
Paul views this world in light of eternity and states, “The appointed time has grown very short” (v.29). “This world is passing away” (v.31). Paul wants single believers to live free from worldly anxieties and be anxious (in a productive way) about what matters most. If you are anxious about the things of the Lord, then He will anoint your time on earth to have eternal meaning and impact.
Friend, you have a gift. A calling. A choice:
You can choose to be anxious about getting married…anxious about attracting a man…anxious about your appearance…anxious about where to go to find a man…and anxious about pleasing a boyfriend.
OR
You can be anxious about the things of the Lord.
Devote yourself to Jesus in body and spirit.
“And the unmarried or {engaged} woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.” -1 Corinthians 7:34-35
To seize the sweetest benefit of singleness—undivided devotion to the Lord—is to know and enjoy the greatest relationship in the world and in Heaven to come! It also “promotes good order” for “{the Lord} restores {your} soul. He leads {you} in path of righteousness for his name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3)
“Undivided devotion” to the Lord means full devotion to Him. Full devotion involves choosing the things of the Lord over the things of the world. Full devotion means surrendering ALL of yourself—body and spirit—to the Lordship of Jesus. Full devotion is following Him in paths of righteousness for His Glory. Full devotion means the Holy Spirit shaping you into His image more and more, developing holiness of mind, heart, and body, and building Christlike character in you.
While worldly things distract us from Jesus, our sin is what separates us from our Holy God. Jesus is our Way-maker to God! He fully gave Himself for you! Jesus endured the excruciating pain of His body hanging on a cross and the mental anguish of complete understanding of how our sin dishonors Holy God. He suffered the ultimate heartache of separation from the Father as he bore our sins and laid down His life for us. Our Perfect Way-Maker rose victorious, and through Him, we rise victorious, too. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
How great the gift that comes from the Greatest Giver!
Fully give yourself to Him who fully gave Himself for you!
Heavenly Father,
I praise You, for You are holy and loving and giving!
Thank You for Paul’s words about singleness. Thank You for inspiring His words and placing his words in the Bible. Thank You for bringing this sweet message to me. It is GOOD for my soul.
Father, You haven’t forgotten me or set me aside. You have set me apart for Your Glory. You have purposefully placed me in a season of singleness. It is a gift from You, the Greatest Giver.
Singleness is a calling from You. Empower me to embrace my calling in this season and seize the God-glorifying opportunities singleness provides.
Empower me to seize the sweet benefit I have in this season—to focus on my relationship with Jesus. He fully gave Himself for me, and I fully give myself to Him.
Grant me wisdom to discern the ways of the world and strength to resist worldly things. Renew my mind to care most about the things that matter most—the things of the Lord. Please guard my mind, heart, and body and keep me pure. When I stumble and sin, may I run to Your throne of grace and be quick to confess. Thank You for the truth that when I “confess {my} sins, {You are} faithful and just to forgive {my sins} and to cleanse {me} from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
May Jesus “lead me in paths of righteousness for {your} name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3)! In Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.
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*Verses are ESV
