Happy Valentine’s Day from Thailand! Valentine’s Day can be a challenge. If you are single or widowed, you are reminded that you are not in a couple. If you are just starting out a relationship, you have the debate of what to do so as not to signify too much or too little. If you have been dating for a long time, you may feel more pressure to become engaged. If you are married, you try to find ways to make your spouse feel special.
When I was thinking about Valentine’s Day last night, I thought of Paul from the Bible. He was a man who chased after God. He was a man who stayed single his entire life. He talked about both singleness and marriage. “Sometimes I wish everyone were single like me- a simpler life in many ways! But celibacy is not for everyone any more than marriage is. God gives the gift of the single life to some, the gift of the married life to others.” -1 Corinthians 7:7-8 (The Message)
“But Jesus said, ‘Not everyone is mature enough to live a married life. It requires a certain aptitude and grace. Marriage isn’t for everyone. Some, from birth seemingly, never give marriage a thought. Others never get asked- or accepted. And some decide not to get married for kingdom reasons. But if you’re capable of growing into the largeness of marriage, do it.” Matthew 19:11-12
(The Message)
We can learn a lot from Paul. He was content with whatever God gave him. He says: “Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever the circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am” -Philippians 4:11-13 (The Message)
I know there are times that I wish I was dating someone, was married, and had children. But I also I would not have been ready for those things yet. God knew what he was doing to have me wait on his timing. I am learning to be content in all circumstances like Paul- no matter what Facebook relational status I have posted.
One definition of “single” in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is: “exclusively attentive.” The definition of “single” in WordWeb is “not divided among or brought to bear on more than one object or objective… =exclusive, undivided= concentrated.”
If you are single, think of this as an opportunity not a curse. You have this time to focus solely on God without the distractions of other people needing your regular attention. If I had married and/or had children, I would not have been able to become close to God. I would have probably tried to get my worth through my husband and/or children.
I found this verse when looking up verses on being “single” last night. “What’s the price of two or three pet canaries? Some loose change, right? But God never overlooks a single one. And he pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail- even numbering the hairs on your head! -Luke 12:6-7 (The Message)
If you are single or widowed, God loves you. He treasures you already. You do not have to look for that feeling from earthly relationships. No one else will be with you constantly. I love the phrase “But God never overlooks a single one.” Whether you are single or widowed, you are not forgotten by God. He wants to be spending time with you through prayer and reading the Bible.
If you are married, God loves you more than your spouse ever could. He knows you so well that nothing is a surprise to him- not one thought. He loves us despite our problems, our thoughts, and our circumstances. God wants you above all else to love Him.
How should we love God and others? “[Jesus] said: ‘That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence- and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself.” -Luke 10:27 (The Message)
What is real love? How can I love and know that I am truly loved? “Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, Doesn’t have a swelled head, Doesn’t force itself on others, Isn’t always “me first,” Doesn’t fly off the handle, Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, Doesn’t revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end. Love never dies…” -1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (The Message)
