Single and Not Sorry: Devotions of Real Encouragement for Right NowSample

You Are Not Behind

"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand."

PROVERBS 19:21 ESV

As kids, we plan and dream about how our lives will unfold. Maybe you envisioned a life that looked different than it does right now. Perhaps you dreamed about walking down the aisle in a white gown to meet your one true love at the altar. Maybe you assumed you would get married right out of college or you were in a relationship that you thought would last forever. It’s possible that your five-year plan included marriage or your ten-year plan included kids. But here you are, single, whether by choice or by circumstance. As you attend engagement parties, weddings, and baby shower after baby shower, it can be difficult not to turn inward and feel like you are falling behind. But those lies—the ones that say you are behind everyone else, that you are doing something wrong because you aren’t in a relationship—are not from the Lord. He says you are right where you’re meant to be.

Our God is a God of goodness. He planned out your life as an overflow of this goodness. While you may have had a different vision for your life, you can trust that God knows what He’s doing. Think back on a time when you clearly felt the Lord’s leading. Maybe it was a job change that you’d been hoping for, an unexpected move that turned out to be the perfect thing for you or another obvious and direct answer to prayer. That same leading is working in you now, directing your path as the Lord’s purposes are displayed through you. It’s natural to question your life when it looks different from many friends and family around you, but know that God hasn’t questioned His plan or your relationship status for a second. He knows exactly what He’s doing, and He isn’t afraid. It’s not wrong to plan and to dream. Let the Lord know your desires, and let His peace fill you as you remember the goodness of His plan. You are not behind, and you never have been. You are right where you need to be.

Right Now Reminder:

God’s plan for your relationship status and your life isn’t off course. His goodness is on display in you right now, right where you are.