God’s Plan for Singles • 07.17.22
Nick Lees   -   July 18, 2022

God’s Plan for Singles

Embracing the beauty of God’s good plan for singles

  1. Consider the big picture of Scripture
  2. Remember these key truths

Good morning, church family! As always, it is a privilege and pleasure to be worshiping the Lord with you today. What a week! High Five Camp was an absolute blast, as we got to minister the Gospel message to over 100 kids from our church and community all week long. I’m so thankful for everyone who sacrificed of their time/talents/treasure to make this ministry a reality. It truly is an all-hands on deck ministry week for our church. It’s with great joy that I can share we know of one child who made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ on Friday night.

Don’t forget that later tonight, we’re celebrating the close of the week with a High Five Block Party from 5-7pm here at the church. This is meant to be a time where you can come and rest with the church family and community and enjoy some intentional conversation and fellowship time. I hope you’ll consider coming back and enjoying the evening with us.

Well, we’re turning our eyes and ears to the study of God’s Word now. Before we jump back into our series on Biblical Roles: God’s Good Design…

Dismiss 4th & 5th graders

Ushers + Bibles

We are closing in on the end of this six-week series! We’ve spent the last four weeks studying God’s Design and Plan for men and women. Today we are looking at God’s Plan for Singles and Pastor Jack will close out our series with a study on God’s Plan for Children next Sunday.

Let’s chat for a minute about today’s topic – God’s Plan for Singles. I’ve desired to preach on this topic for quite some time now. I believe, and the statistics support it, that single people often struggle with their place in the church. Even though nearly half our population in our country is single, only 23% of active church attenders are single. And those that do attend usually, but not always, struggle to feel connected or committed to the church.

After studying in preparation for this message and chatting with a few folks this week, I’ve also been reminded that the categorization of “single” people is quite broad. It could include younger unmarried folks, widows/widowers, single parents, and divorcees. Some are single by choice and enjoy their singleness, but for others singleness can feel like an unwanted life circumstance you’re stuck in. Many singles face real battles for contentment and against bitterness. All that to say that “singleness” is a complex and broad spectrum of people.

Perhaps you’ve heard sermons on this topic before and your guard is already up as you expect to hear “more of the same” – whatever that might mean to you. Perhaps you’re here this morning and you’re not single and you’re wondering if you should get up and excuse yourself right now and get an hour back in your day… Please don’t! We have talked at length about the call to love God and love others over the past 4 weeks. This sermon is meant to equip all of us to love God and one another well.

I hope our study today will be a refreshing reminder of the beauty of God’s good plan for singles. Whether you’re currently single or married, there will be truth from God’s Word for you to consider and remember. And, if I may speak to the married folks for a moment, you surely have opportunities to interact with and influence single people. There is truth here for you! Especially those who are also parents or grandparents, you have the incredible task of training up your children and teens to think biblically about singleness. I would encourage you to listen attentively today and take copious notes so you can disciple your own family on this matter. The world has a message about singleness that it is proclaiming every single day. Do you have a compelling answer from God’s Word for it?

Today we’re going to trace the overarching plan of God from Old to New Testament with a special emphasis as it relates to the concept of singleness. The reason we’re approaching it that way, is I believe that having a better understanding of the breadth of God’s plan will help all of us embrace the beauty of his plan. Once we’ve done that, then we’ll talk about specific truths from God’s Word that we must remember. So, let’s get into it!

Embracing the beauty of God’s good plan for singles

Starts as we…

  1. Consider the big picture of Scripture

Of course, we must begin with the Old Testament. And where better than the very start of the Old Testament, the book of Genesis. Over the last month we’ve looked at Genesis 1:26-31 multiple times. Let’s review verses 26-28 again quickly this morning. (page 1)

Genesis 1:26–28 (ESV)

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

27     So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.

28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Does anyone recall what this command in verse 28 is called? The Creation Mandate. “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it, have dominion.”

What you need to understand is this Creation Mandate is driving the plan of God throughout the Old Testament. As the teachings of the Old Testament are unfolded by God to His people, we witness a strong emphasis on being fruitful and multiplying. In fact, if you’re familiar with the Bible, you know that in the Old Testament, God primarily works through a particular nation – the nation of Israel. They are God’s chosen people with whom He makes deep commitments, known as Covenants. These Covenants include the promise of blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. The blessings often included elements of being fruitful and having a long lineage, while the curses were often having your lineage cut off from the land. The blessings were primarily passed down and continued in the nation as procreation happened. If you wanted to remain a part of God’s chosen people and have your descendants experience the blessings of God, then you needed to get married and have babies.

Here’s an example of one such covenant with Abram.

Genesis 12:1–3 (ESV)

12 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Notice that the promise of blessing here includes many descendants. God will make of Abram a great nation. Later in Genesis 15, Abram is told his descendants will outnumber the stars in the heavens.

These themes are important for understanding the overarching plan of God. In the Old Testament to remain single was generally viewed unfavorably, as your inheritance would be lost, and your name cut off. Israelites usually married in their mid-teens and transitioned immediately into adult life. Adolescence was not a stage of life for them.

As the Old Testament progresses, the covenant nation of Israel repeatedly fails to fulfill their calling as the people of God. They struggle with selfishness and idolatry. They worship false gods. Ultimately, they abandon and forsake him over and over again, until, finally, he sends them into exile in foreign nations. If you were with us earlier this year, think back to our study of Judges where we saw their cycles of spiritual apostasy. Or, if you’re doing the Bible-in-a-year study with us, then you recently read about God exiling the people in 2 Kings.

As you read the Old Testament, you’re left wondering, “How will God’s plan to bless all the nations ever be accomplished!?” He promised it to Abraham, but the people (Israel) aren’t obeying. Will they screw up God’s plan? Of course not! We cannot thwart the will of God. Turn with me to Isaiah 53. (page 356)

Isaiah 53 is known as a Suffering Servant song because it looks ahead to the ideal servant of God. And surprisingly, it’s not the nation of Israel, but rather the promised Messiah! Messiah means the Anointed One of God whom He would send to fulfill His Covenants and His grand redemption plan. Let’s start in verse 7.

Isaiah 53:7–12 (ESV)

  7     He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,

yet he opened not his mouth;

        like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,

and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,

so he opened not his mouth.

  8     By oppression and judgment he was taken away;

and as for his generation, who considered

        that he was cut off out of the land of the living,

stricken for the transgression of my people?

  9     And they made his grave with the wicked

and with a rich man in his death,

        although he had done no violence,

and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10     Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;

he has put him to grief;

        when his soul makes an offering for guilt,

he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;

        the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

11     Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;

        by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,

make many to be accounted righteous,

and he shall bear their iniquities.

12     Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,

and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,

        because he poured out his soul to death

and was numbered with the transgressors;

        yet he bore the sin of many,

and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Notice how this Suffering Servant is described in verses 8-9. Specifically, that his generation was cut off out of the land of the living – meaning he had no children – and he was a buried with the wicked. And yet… look at verses 10-12.

V10 – “…when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring…”

V11 – “…by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous…”

This Suffering Servant, though dying childless and being buried with the wicked, will have many spiritual offspring whom he has made righteous!! This is a major turning point in the revelation of God’s plan. While the Creation Mandate from Genesis 1 is still important and given by God, we are now beginning to see an emphasis on producing spiritual offspring, as demonstrated by the Suffering Servant.

Of course, we now know that the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 is none other than Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God sent into the world to save sinners. His death happened exactly as Isaiah predicted. And the Apostle Paul, reflecting back on Jesus’ life and ministry, confirmed that God’s plan was to bless the nations through Jesus, even all the way back to the Covenant God made with Abram in Genesis 12. Listen to how Paul connects Christ to the covenant of Abraham in Galatians 3:

Galatians 3:13–16 (ESV)

13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

15 To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. 16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.

The Bible’s metanarrative shows that God’s plan was always to fulfill Abraham’s promise in Christ. The blessing to the nations comes through Christ. Jesus’ death on the cross makes it possible for us to be adopted as Abraham’s, and ultimately God’s, spiritual children. What this means practically is that Christians, whether single or married, are redeemed by faith in Christ and have equal opportunity to participate in the ongoing mission of God – making disciples of all nations!

This emphasis is further confirmed as we venture into the New Testament. Jesus emphasizes the call to make disciples, which is all about producing spiritual offspring. The Great Commission sent Christians to the corners of the earth in this call to produce disciples. The Covenant blessings are no longer passed down by belonging to ethnic Israel, but rather by faith in Jesus!

Do you understand what is happening here? God has revealed more of His plan, and it has so much opportunity for everyone, including singles! And although singleness was still not the norm for the Jewish people, we see that it is considerably more welcomed by the teachings of Jesus and the Apostle Paul, who were both single.  Let’s consider what these men taught.

In the midst of his teachings, Jesus admitted that the norm for most is going to be marriage. We see that as he teaches on marriage and divorce in Matthew 19:

Matthew 19:10–12 (ESV)

10 The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” 11 But he said to them, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. 12 For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.”

After affirming God’s standard of one-man and one-woman for life, the disciples remark that it would be easier to remain single! Jesus says that not everyone will be able to do that. Some may remain single due to birth defects, others because they were castrated (a more common practice back then), and some will voluntarily choose singleness for the sake of ministry. But, by and large, most people will get married at some point in their lives.

Paul would later teach that singleness was a fine status to be satisfied with, just as if one was married. Neither should despise their status, both are good. However, he did clarify that a married person had a divided focus, as they would need to care for both their spouse and the things of the Lord. But he called single persons to have their aim to be undivided devotion to the Lord.

1 Corinthians 7:32–35 (ESV)

32 I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. 33 But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, 34 and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. 35 I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.

Paul’s interest was encouraging singles to have undivided devotion to God. That fits well with the primacy of “loving God with all your being” that we’ve heard about over the past month. And, if you’ve studied Paul’s life, you know he was a great example of this type of devotion!

As a single man, here is how Paul summarized his aim:

Philippians 3:7–11 (ESV)

7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

I love Paul’s testimony. He’s a great and challenging example for all of us! His value system had been completely transformed after meeting the resurrected Christ. He considered knowing Jesus as the most important thing in his life. And that wasn’t just lip service, he suffered the loss of many things and endured many beatings and sufferings (as we heard in High Five this week) for his faith in Jesus. He was sold out for Christ! It was his desire to know Christ, be like Christ, and join Christ in the resurrection. Is that your aim? Are you giving undivided devotion to the Lord? *Pause*

The last thing I want to draw your attention to regarding the big picture of Scripture on this topic is the eternal perspective that Jesus gives on marriage and singleness. What I mean by “eternal perspective” is that Jesus reveals what our eternal state will be like when it comes to relational status. We find this in all three of the synoptic Gospels. I’m going to take us to Matthew 22. (pg 483)

To give the context of what we’re about to read next, the Sadducees tried to stump Jesus with a theology question about marriage in the resurrection. They’re trying to trip him up, but let’s look at Jesus’ response:

Matthew 22:29–30 (ESV)

29 But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

Jesus reveals that marriage is for this life only. In light of eternity, singleness is actually the bulk of our relational experience! We start life as a single, we may return to singleness if our spouse dies or divorces us, and all of eternity will be in the state of singleness, at least in relation to our earthly spouses. As part of the church, we are the bride of Christ, but that is a different topic than we’re discussing today.

So, marriage is a temporary status, in this life, that ends at death or when Jesus inaugurates the New Heaven and New Earth. Something better than marriage will be our new and eternal reality.

My point in sharing Jesus’ teaching was solely to emphasize how significant the status of singleness is in the grand scheme of life and eternity. It should not be viewed as an insignificant, unwanted status. Marriage, in this lifetime, is actually the temporary status or the interruption of our singleness. We should learn to appreciate and be thankful for both marriage and singleness. Both are good statuses through which God can bring us much good and himself much glory! *Pause*

Hopefully that was a helpful overview of the big picture of Scripture on this topic. Let’s spend the rest of our time looking at specific key truths that we must remember.

  1. Remember these key truths

We must start back in the beginning – Genesis 1:26-27:

Genesis 1:26–27 (ESV)

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

27     So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.

Here is our first key truth:

  1. God made you with a purpose

As we’ve discussed in previous weeks, you were made in the image and likeness of God. Your existence has inherit meaning and significance because you are made to represent and reflect Him to the watching world around you! Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to KNOW GOD and MAKE HIM KNOWN. Listen to how the Apostle Paul puts it in the book of Acts:

Acts 17:26–27 (ESV)

26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,

God is in control of each of our specific situations. He knew when he wanted us to be alive and where he wanted us to live, all so we would seek after and find Him! Your situation and life circumstances are not an afterthought to God. He knew exactly when and where he wanted you to be. Do not believe the lie that you are alone or forgotten or that your life is insignificant! You are a visible representative of the invisible God! Your purpose has significance not only for this life, but for all eternity.

And, as we heard earlier, singles have the benefit of being able to give their undivided devotion to fulfilling this purpose! Singleness is not a burden, but a blessing, at least when it comes to knowing God and making Him known.

Another part of God’s design for humanity is that you were designed for relationships. Our God is a relational God, and you are made in his image. One particular area of temptation for singles is loneliness. Frankly, loneliness isn’t unique to singles, as we see it has been a problem since Genesis 3. Loneliness is the fruit of relational estrangement due to sin. Even in the Garden of Eden, where Adam & Eve were together, there was loneliness as sin separated them from one another and God.

However, singles do have a greater opportunity to struggle with loneliness if they do not take proactive steps to fight against it! What we see by the examples of singles in the Bible like Jesus and Paul is that loneliness is defeated by intentional, godly relationships. Both of these men, though single, surrounded themselves with fellow Christians or those with whom they were seeking to share the Gospel. Their examples become powerful and challenging testimonies to intentionally seek out relationships. What better place to do this than the church!? After all, we are to be a community known for its love for one another.

Singles, are you intentionally seeking out relationships within the church? Are you inviting folks to your home/apartment? Even if they have a spouse and kids! Who cares if they’re in a different “stage” of life! You’re family! Don’t buy into the lie that it is everyone else’s responsibility to reach out to you and invite you over.

Married folks, the same goes for you. Are you intentionally building relationships within the church? Especially with our singles? If you know they are more prone to feel lonely, then you have a clear way you can demonstrate love to them! Invite them into your home and life. Treat them as they are – a part of your family!

I had the opportunity to do college ministry back in Indiana. One special way to minister to college students, who are typically single, was to have them into our home and to share a meal together. Over time they got to know our kids and our kids got to know and “adopt” them. We even built an apartment in our basement so we could start having a college student live with us. It was a blessing to them and to us.

All that to say, let’s fight loneliness together by remembering our common purpose – to represent and reflect God and to be in relationship with one another as we know God and make him known!

Let’s consider another key truth, this time from Romans 8.

Romans 8:31–32 (ESV)

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

If you’re familiar with that passage, you know it just keeps building on and on about God’s love! Here’s the key truth to remember.

  1. God loves you with an unfathomably deep love

Your Creator was willing to send his own Son to die for your redemption. Jesus willingly came and laid down his life that you might be saved. When you truly understand and believe that… it changes everything! You can trust God to do what is best. God gives you every good gift that He believes you ought to have. If there is something you’re wanting, but God hasn’t given it to you, then trust that God has a better plan for you! Find comfort in the sovereignty and goodness of God.

When you are supremely convinced that God is good, in control, and loves you with an unfathomably deep love, then you will be in a position to trust him in hard things. The reality is that you will face life circumstances that you don’t like or don’t want for yourself. That’s part of living in a broken, sin-cursed world. Things aren’t perfect! Which leaves us longing for more… But more of what? More of what this world has to offer or more of God?

Another key truth from Scripture is…

  1. God alone satisfies you

We see this taught in both Old and New Testaments.

Psalm 107:8–9 (ESV)

  8     Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,

for his wondrous works to the children of man!

  9     For he satisfies the longing soul,

and the hungry soul he fills with good things.

John 4:13–14 (ESV)

13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

The reality is that marriage won’t satisfy. And singleness won’t satisfy either. You’re not designed to find your satisfaction in your relational status! Every human being is designed to find satisfaction in ONE place – God alone.

What that means for you is that you must become adept at cultivating contentment wherever God has you. This is an essential life skill. One author defines contentment as “deep satisfaction with the will of God.” Meaning, you are at peace with God’s plan for your life, as far as you currently understand it.

You see, in the context of singleness, whether or not you marry is not the priority. Undivided devotion to the Lord is your priority. Develop a deep walk with the Lord and trust Him to provide for you every step of the way. Even in your unfulfilled longings.

I want to commend a particular resource to you on the topic of unfulfilled longings. It is authored by Janet Aucoin, who is the wife of one of the primary disciplers in my life. You can find it rather easily by Googling “Unfulfilled Longings + Janet Aucoin” – the first link will be to ReviveOurHearts ministry page where you can read the transcripts or download the audio files.

If your singleness is a source of trial and suffering for you, I want to encourage you to cry out to God. He cares for you.

1 Peter 5:6–7 (ESV)

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

God cares about the desires of your heart, so bring them to him. But hold them with an open hand, knowing that he is in control, not you. Please remember that in the grand scheme of eternity God has given you the most important gift – salvation. Despite how undesirable your circumstances may be to you, you have been rescued from Hell. That is far more important than being rescued from singleness. Be sure to cultivate thanksgiving for what God has done, not just fixate bitterly on what he has not done!

You also need to remember this next key truth that…

  1. God sends you

The beauty of the Great Commission is that it is for all who know Jesus as Savior and Lord, irrespective of relational status. If you are in Christ, you are part of God’s covenant people sent on-mission to others. Singles, you are able to produce spiritual offspring, just as Jesus did, through the ministry of the Gospel.

Matthew 28:18–20 (ESV)

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

By your faithfulness to the mission, you may also be blessed to see many spiritual offspring made righteous in your lifetime. And then you will reap the eternal blessings of such a lifestyle! How sweet it will be on Judgment Day to stand before the Lord and hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Master.”

As Christians we are called to seek God’s kingdom first. That’s not a suggestion, it’s a command.

Matthew 6:33–34 (ESV)

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

It’s almost like Jesus knew we would struggle with anxiousness and fear and then try to take control of our lives… Whether it’s fearing where our next meal comes from, or how we’ll put clothes on our children, or whether we’ll find the “right one” to marry, put those worries aside and trust God. Seek first his kingdom and righteousness. Cultivate that undivided devotion to the Lord. Make it your aim to please him as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:9-10. Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31).

After all, Jesus has called you to selfless service. And he not only calls you to it, he models it for you.

Mark 10:43–45 (ESV)

43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

You’ve been sent on the greatest mission of all time. A mission that has eternal ramifications for everyone involved. You’ve likely seen the intense effort that Ethan Hunt puts into his missions in the Mission Impossible series. Going up against all odds, down to the wire, to save humanity once again from the latest earthly threat. Your mission is even more urgent than that! Your mission involves the salvation of sinners from the eternal wrath of God. So, let’s get after it. Dive in head-first. Identify people around you to evangelize with the Gospel. Pick a believer to disciple to maturity in the faith. Dig into resources to further train yourself up in sound doctrine and practical disciplines. Serve faithfully and sacrificially in the church.

Throw yourself into this mission so much that you don’t have time to fixate on what you don’t have or wish you did have. Your mission is eternally significant, and this world’s pleasures are temporary. All of us need to check ourselves on how much we value temporary pleasures.

You see, another key truth to remember connects directly to discontentment…

  1. Satan wants to distract you

The Apostle Peter tells us that the Devil is like a roaring lion, prowling around looking for someone to devour. He’s vigilant and waiting for opportunities to trip us up. He doesn’t want Christians to succeed in their God-given mission. It’s the Devil’s delight to have discontent, complaining, ineffective Christians who isolate themselves and are consumed by self-focus.

The Devil doesn’t need to get you to vocally abandon the faith, he just wants to render your witness ineffective. If he can tempt you with the pleasures and treasures of this world to abandon the call to make disciples, that’s a victory for him. If he can lead you to a place of discouragement or discontentment, then it’s likely you’re not thinking about ministering to others.

These are tools and tactics that the enemy uses to oppose God. You must be aware of them, so you won’t fall prey to them! Listen to how Peter calls the suffering believers of his day to respond to the devil:

1 Peter 5:9–11 (ESV)

9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

He calls them to resist the devil by being firm in their faith! Be so saturated in knowledge and application of the truth that you are not susceptible to the Devil’s lies. Combine that with the knowledge that others are facing the same battles you are throughout the world. You’re not alone! And God is faithful, he will provide a way for you to stand up under the temptations of the enemy (1 Cor. 10:13). And the beautiful promise is that after you’ve suffered “a little while” (in light of eternity) then God will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you! Your perseverance in the faith is WORTH it. God is with you, and He alone can satisfy you! Don’t buy into the lies of the enemy that lead you to discouragement and discontentment.

Something I often do in counseling is have my counselees keep a journal. In this journal they are to divide the pages into two columns. Column 1 contains the lies they’ve been believing. Column 2 has the specific truths from God’s Word that combat the lies. This is one way to help us fight against the distractions of the enemy and our own flesh! I would highly commend this to you, especially if you’re struggling with repeated patterns of temptation/sin. Identify the lies you’re tempted to believe and then dig into God’s Word for the truths that combat them.

Our walk with Christ is a serious matter with both immediate and eternal ramifications. I not only want to see single believers learning to rest in God in this life, I also want them to be able to give a good account when they stand before God one day. You see, our final key truth to remember is…

  1. God holds you accountable

Throughout the New Testament, God warns us to be ready for Judgment Day. Whether you look in Matthew 25 or 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 or a variety of other places, there are admonitions to be a wise steward of your time/talent/treasure. That your aim would be to please Jesus in all that you do.

And, as you’ve heard today and in week’s past, there are many distractions out there that will choke out good fruit. You cannot serve two masters. The cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things will choke out the word so that it proves unfruitful. (Luke 8:14; Mk. 4:19; Mt. 6:24) So look carefully how you walk, making the best use of the time.

That is God’s plan for singles; and frankly, it is God’s plan for all of us. Allow your BIG VIEW OF GOD to inform the way you approach your life circumstances, whether you’re single or married, whether you’re healthy or sick, whether you’re rich or poor. May we stay on-mission and make disciples as we find our satisfaction in God alone.

Let’s pray.