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

The Goodness of Time

So be careful how you act; these are difficult days. Don’t be fools; be wise: make the most of every opportunity you have for doing good.

EPHESIANS 5:15–16 TLB

We are all busy. Maybe you’re a student, rushing from class to work to the library with barely a minute to down some coffee. Maybe you work a demanding full-time job and balance a busy side hustle after hours. Maybe you’re really involved in your local community, and it’s rare for you to have a night where you aren’t out and about. We all feel like we’re short on time. But believe it or not, one of the great gifts of singleness is the flexibility of this precious resource.

Sure, we can fill up our calendars just as quickly as those in a relationship or with kids. The difference is that we get to choose to say yes or no to something after simply weighing our own options, instead of comparing multiple color-coordinated calendars or penciling in lunch with a friend between a kid’s soccer practice and that potluck. We are in control of our time in a unique way, and we can often decide if we want to do something or not based solely on our own desires. Ephesians advises us to “make the most of every opportunity you have for doing good.” As single women, we are uniquely positioned to do just that.

God has placed you in this season for a reason, and His desire for you is that you would do good with your flexible timetable—whether your singleness lasts a week, a year, or a lifetime. So what would it look like to utilize some of your time for the goodness of God? What activity stirs your heart and gets you excited to do good? It could be volunteering a few hours a week at your local homeless shelter, offering to babysit for a family at your church, or cooking a meal for your friends who are having a hard week. Doing good doesn’t have to be a grand production or take up every hour of your day. But since you are gifted with the flexibility of time, why not pencil in a few hours to serve someone else?

Right Now Reminder:

God wants to meet you right where you are and do great things through you. You can use your time to spread His love.