Can the Single Life Be a Gift From God?

Most people don’t think so, because it is human nature to seek out a mate, but there are some who never marry and yet they are perfectly happy people. Why are they happy? They have this big hole in their lives, where a mate is supposed to be, yet they don’t seem to be missing anything. Ironically, this big, gaping hole typically leads more quickly in the direction of God than it does in the direction of a marriage relationship. Many times people seek out relationships that they know will not work when what they are really trying to do is fill that God-shaped hole in their lives.

The Bible says that we humans should be fruitful and multiply, yet at the same time, there were many historical Biblical figures who never married, including Jesus Himself. If we Christians are to follow in the footsteps of Christ, then we need to realize that although some of us are destined to be married, still others are not. Some people don’t marry until they reach their thirties or forties, or even fifties, and some don’t ever get married. Is the single life a fulfilling one? Or are single people only faking that peaceful countenance?

It has been said, and I firmly agree, that a marriage combines three people as one….a man, a woman, and God, but within even the most Godly union, there will be moments where the two people involved will be concentrating more on each other than they do on God. God understands this, because He Himself created the phenomenon. Intimacy in a marriage is a necessity, but it does tend to distract the couple from their walk with God. A single person, on the other hand, does not have such a problem. He or she can spend much more time in fellowship with God.

God enjoys this fellowship, and at times, He even ordains certain people into that sort of life, by "blessing" them with the gift of singleness. Most of the time the single person does not feel that this is such a wonderful gift, but more of a curse. They get depressed, sometimes seeking out relationships they know are the wrong ones, simply because they perceive that as a quick fix for their problems. Regardless of how they feel at the moment, these types of relationships almost always end the wrong way, with someone getting hurt. God does not like this, and it really is a form of disobedience.