Overcoming: Devotions from Time of Graceಮಾದರಿ

Singleness and Lonliness

Isn't it amazing how much of human life is structured around mating rituals? The "Personal" columns in my local newspaper are loaded with "men seeking women" and "women seeking men" ads (plus many more types of seeking that ought not to be happening). Bars on weekends are full of people looking for love. Online networks and text messaging help lonely but cautious people who are looking for true love.

You have probably heard church talk extolling the merits of marital bliss. Does it surprise you to know that God thinks that being single is also a great way to live? One of the most famous bachelors of all time loved the independence his singleness brought him. St. Paul counseled, "It is good for a man not to marry. . . . Those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this" (1 Corinthians 7:1,28).

Before you curse your singleness, realize that marriage does not automatically turn an unhappy person into a happy person. If you are single, find the joy and blessings that your kind Father has placed there for you. If you are single, practice saying this: "I love my life."