Guest Post #1: Singleness

Hey all you bloggers out there!
I am so excited to kick start this week of guest posts off! :) There will be four in total ranging on topics from singleness to modesty to living a life of no compromise for Christ. Note: my words will be ITALICIZED and the actual posts will just be in REGULAR type. Now onto the series :)

This first post is written by my dear friend Loca Chica. We have been writing each other back and forth via email and I have been so blessed by her heart for God (Visit her blog HERE). And now onto the post:

But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. (Romans 8:25)

This is what I want to talk about today.
But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. (Romans 8:25)
I'm aware that Paul was probably not thinking about marriage when he wrote this verse, but I do believe that this verse is relevant and true for those of us whose 'hope' is to get married.

To all of you who are single and reading this- I want you to know that God has very important, unique service for you to do during this time in your life. Your singleness is not a mistake, God DOES know what He is doing, and He does have a plan. He hasn't overlooked you, your desires, your dreams, and your life. His ways are higher than our ways, His thoughts are higher than ours.

His plan for those of us who are single right now is a good plan. It is for a reason. Maybe there are things that He needs to teach you, before you are ready to marry. Maybe He is waiting until the person He has for you is ready. Maybe He wants you to draw near to Him, instead of anyone, or anything else. Maybe He simply wants to see if you'll love Him, even if that means trading your dream of becoming a wife and mother, for His dream of becoming more fruitful and productive in the service He has for you to do.

I was thinking while I was in bed the other night, "What if it isn't really about the issue of marriage? What if it's about contentment?" The more I thought about it, the more sense it made. If I cannot be joyful and content to serve God, doing whatever He has for me to do as a single young woman, then it is very difficult for me to believe that I would be content serving Him in the same way as a married woman. Sure, the first couple months of married life may be blissful, but if I do not have a heart that has "learned to be content in whatsoever state it is in" then being married to the most wonderful man in the world will not give me lasting satisfaction.

God desires for us to give ourselves fully to Him. To allow Him to be our "knight in shining armor" to allow Him to fill all of our desires for love and affection. To allow Him to fulfill our every need.

There is a void in every woman's heart. It's a desire to be loved, to be needed, to be made complete. I think our biggest mistake is thinking that marriage will fill this void. This void is our "God spot", no man can fill it. We may think a husband could fill it. But, the only the one who created it in us is the only one who can fill it.

I don't want you to misunderstand me here, though. Is marriage good? Did God create marriage? Do all of us desire to become one in marriage? My answer to those questions is a very emphatic YES. But, marriage does not give a discontent heart contentment. Marriage does not fill all of our longings and desires that God created so that we would be drawn to Him, and He could fulfill us. My point is, it shouldn't require a husband to make us serve God, because that's the only way we've ever "dreamed" of living our adult life. It shouldn't take a husband for us to live life the way God specifically intended for us at this moment. If we are unmarried at this point, God has us where we are for a reason, and that should be enough reason for us to serve Him where He has us with a content, yes, cheerful, heart.

Maybe you're asking yourself right now, yes, you're right..it should be enough. But right now, it just isn't. I understand what you mean. What we 'should' do as Christians isn't always easy. In fact, the bible warns us that it is hard. Really hard. We have to daily "take up our cross" and choose God and His perfect ways over ours, and our sinful, fleshly desires(I am not saying desiring to be married is sinful at all-I am simply saying that desiring it so much that you don't do what you are supposed to be doing right now, where God has you, as a single person is. Desiring it too much is wrong.)we have to crucify ourselves, and choose to follow Christ.

I advise you to use this time of singleness to grow in wisdom and in grace. To grow closer to God, and farther away from your old, sinful self. Ask God to give you a passionate hunger and thirst for Him. Ask Him to make your desires line up with His desires for you. Ask Him to give you a content heart, that desires only to serve Him and love Him fully, no matter what the circumstances, no matter what His plan is.

Of course, you will fall. You will catch yourself being tempted to fall back into self-pity. You may look at a just married couple, and secretly wonder why they are so blessed. Why you have to wait. You will make mistakes. Just remember, that our God is a God of second chances. He understands who, and what we are. He knows that we mess up. When things like this happen, I urge you, run to God, not away from Him. He will be waiting with His arms wide open, ready to welcome you back. He is ready to change you, to mold you into the person He created you to be. And another thing that I've personally found extremely helpful when I feel like being discontent, I do one thing. Praise. Thank God, yes, for anything. When I feel like falling into self-pity, or like God just doesn't care anymore, I pray a prayer something like this, "God, thank you for always loving me. Thank you for sunshine, and butterflies. For smiles, and tears. For trials, and triumphs. For tests, and successes. Thank you for my family. Thank you for a healthy body. Thank you for understanding all of my ways, and desiring only the best for me." It's amazing what a little gratitude can for a discontent attitude!

And as you are " still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. (Psalm 37:7)", and continue to wait upon the Lord, I pray that you will decrease, and Christ will increase. And whether His will is for you to be married in 2 years, 12 years, or at all, that when you come before His throne in Heaven someday, He will say to you "Well done, my good and faithful servant. You served me selflessly and beautifully with your single years. You chose to be content in Me. You chose 110% surrender."