I am a twenty-something, recent University grad with a job that I love and a community that I am grateful for, and I am single.
And I am okay with that.
In fact, I am more than okay with it.
For so long I was anything but okay with it. The word 'single' felt like a death sentence. It felt like an awful disease that I needed to heal from as soon as possible. Actually, most of my life it has felt that way.
But recently the Lord has shown me that this whole 'single' thing is not, in fact, a death sentence. And it is not a disease. It is a good thing (I know, hold onto your hat...).
I was born single.
You were born single.
And the Lord says that we are created good.
In our single state, the Lord declared that we, in our essence and being, were good. Very good, in fact.
There is life to be had before and after marriage. There is life to be had outside of marriage (which, by the way is also good).
But the lie that Christian culture has bought into is that marriage is better than singleness. That marriage means you have somehow reached an 'elite' level in your spirituality. Or you are desirable (finally). Or that you are better than all of those single folk. They just haven't quite gotten there yet. They need more refining. They need better control of their emotions, temper, laziness, gluttony, addictions... They just need to be better. To do better.
Bull crap.
That is not the Gospel. It is not what the Lord says. Some of the heroes of the faith, the men and women we read about and esteem in the Bible were single. Paul the apostle. Jesus.
So please, my friend, stop making your worth about whether or not you're in a relationship/engaged/married. Your worth has never, ever, ever been about that. And it never will be. Not in the eyes of God.
You have purpose now. I have purpose now. And even if I never get married, my life is still good. My convictions and passions and gifts are still being used (by the grace of God) and I it doesn't mean I am extra broken. It just means that our stories look different.
And that is okay. Beautiful, in fact.
Today you are of value. Tomorrow you are of value. Forever you are of value. Because you're His. May that be enough. {More than enough}.
