Articles
Never Alone When You Are With God
Are people who remain single for God living a lonely life? The world answers this question by saying, “Yes!” This is because the world places passionate romantic love as the epitome of love. However, romantic love is not the end all be all, because this form of love in many ways can be conditional. Before becoming someone’s boyfriend or girlfriend you might ask yourself, “Am I attracted to this person? Do we share the same interests? Have the same goals? etc.” Agape or unconditional love is the most extraordinary because nothing can hinder and stop its expression. So, the true answer to the question above depends on the individual person and their situation.
At the start of Matthew 19, Jesus talked about the concept of marriage and the reason why Moses allowed the Israelites to divorce. He then adds, “I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.” Given that reasoning, the disciples then comment that it’s better to just refrain from marriage. Jesus replied, “For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”
In 1 Corinthians 7, the apostle Paul advocates for men and women to not be married and be intimate if they are able to handle this temptation. He justifies this by mentioning that a married man and woman have their attentions divided. This is because they are trying to please God as well as each other (1 Cor. 7:32-34). 1 Corinthians 7:6-7 reads, “I say this as a concession, not as a command. I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.” Everyone has their own strengths to certain temptations and struggles with others. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 7:35, “I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.”
Christians devote their life to loving God because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). Romans 5:6-8 says, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly…God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus Christ exemplified unconditional love to perfection when He willingly faced a brutal death on the cross so that God could eternally save us. If we choose to embrace Him by committing our lives to Him in baptism, He even promises to always be with us (Heb 13:1-7).
Since Jesus’ sacrifice, God’s love is able to be with us through the members of His church. 1 Timothy 3:1-15 reads, “ I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.” Being the head of the church, Jesus Christ is the example and teacher of God’s truth. Ephesians 1:22-23 reads, “And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” Christians in His church are commanded to live by His example and teachings and display them to others without partiality (John 15:9-17).
Whether you are single or not, every Christian’s main goal is to please God above all else. In 1 Corinthians 7:38 Paul wrote, ”So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.” He also adds that if a person decides to get married, they are joined till death–or adultery as in Matthew 19:9. This means that whether a person is happily living the single life for God is decided by that person. Not society or anyone else. It is up to each individual to decide if the unconditional love of God and the brotherly love of fellow believers is enough satisfaction for them. Spiritually to a Christian, there should be no difference between living for God as a person who is single or in a relationship. The most important thing is whether or not they are remaining obedient to God. This is because when you live for God, you are never truly alone (Isaiah 41:10, Romans 8:38-39).
