“And the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.’”

— Genesis 2:18

When God designed the human race, He made us male and female. He recognized that it was not good for Adam to be alone, that Adam needed a companion. (If Adam had been alone, you and I wouldn’t be here.)

But God’s provision of a mate to Adam doesn’t mean that every mature Christian should marry. Unfortunately, our society views singleness as a sign of immaturity and incompleteness. As our culture sees it, if a person is truly mature, he or she will find a suitable partner and marry.

But let’s consider Jesus. Jesus never had a date. He never kissed a girl (in the romantic sense). He was never engaged. He never got married. He never had any children or any grandchildren. Yet the whole world proclaims that He is the wisest, most mature, well-balanced person to ever live, maintaining positive relationships with people of both sexes. Jesus is a model for both married and single people.

I once asked a group to tell me the names of all the married couples in the New Testament who served the Lord. The group could think of only two: Aquila and Priscilla, and Joseph and Mary. Then I asked the group to name the single people who served the Lord, and the group brainstormed quite a list: Paul, John the Baptist, Titus, Timothy, Mark, Epaphroditus, Apollos, Phoebe, and Mary Magdalene. And really, the list could go on.

Are you single? Then first of all, thank God and praise Him for your gift of singleness. Second, use your singleness as a special opportunity to serve Him, perhaps embarking on an adventure you could never experience if you were married. Third, develop your own particular gifts, skills, and interpersonal relationships. Finally, trust the Lord to accomplish His will for you in this matter, and praise Him for whatever His will may be. Whatever path God chooses for you, He will enable you to walk it well and with contentment.

“I realize now there would have been no way I could have read the
books I’ve read, written the words I’ve written, gone the places I’ve gone,
studied the courses I have studied, learned the languages I have learned,
maintained the schedule I have maintained, mended the people I have
mended—if I had been encumbered by a husband and family.”
Evelyn Ramsey
(missionary, doctor, and linguist to the people of papua new guinea)