Prayer

Be faithful to me, O God! Keep me near to You, clinging to Your Word and Your promises. Remind me when I forget, that You are with me and for me, and that You will not leave me or forsake me. Draw me to rest on Your hand, Lord, knowing that all things are held together by Your great power. Assure me of Your goodness, act on my behalf. Be merciful to me in my doubts and fears - cast out all unbelief, that I may rest confidently in Your perfect purposes. Keep me from an anxious or troubled mind, that I may be a testimony of Your transforming grace. Help me, O God, for I am a lost cause apart from You!

A Word for the Unmarried...

In recent days, there has been an explosion of writing, discussion and even disagreement on the topic of Christian singleness. Publishers seem to be cranking out book upon book addressing the rising frequency of delayed marriage among Christian young adults. Such conversations about singleness and having a biblical view toward marriage can be challenging and even burdensome at times. As we see our own sin revealed more and more, and experience the effects of simply living in a world that has pushed unbiblical thoughts about biblical manhood/womanhood and marriage upon us (even penetrating the doors of the church), we can become discouraged and feel hopeless at times - IF we are not diligent to stay near the Word and remember that it is Christ who possesses our minds as believers. We must persevere through these things, because we know that God ordains all things for our good as well as for the benefit of the whole body. Think of how much better prepared our younger sisters in Christ will be if we can learn, apply, and love the truths that are being knit in our hearts and minds.

As women, we often want a "to-do" list or a set of clear principles to show us how to fix a problem - I know I have desired that in studying out how to come to an understanding of singleness and marriage. But there is nowhere we can look for solutions except God's Word. Everything we think, read, and especially feel must be measured according to Scriptures. Particularly our feelings are quick to deceive us and to overcome us, as even biblical truth gets mingled with the sinful fluctuations of our feelings. A dear friend reminded me just today that when the Bible speaks of a "gentle and quiet spirit", it means a calm and settled spirit, one that is not swayed to and fro by our wayward and deceitful hearts. This is the kind of women we must strive to be right now, disciplining our spirits to be quiet, to be faithfully trusting in the promises of God every moment.

Being a part of a local church where the Word of God is boldly and accurately preached, and church discipline is practiced faithfully must be the primary objective for today's young single adult. Without the safeguards of such a fellowship, the single person will undoubtedly be "tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine". And it is a doctrinal issue - because the ways in which we think about and approach our singleness reveal much about what we believe about marriage. As we study and read, we must be careful about our intake of extrabiblical resources. While we do have to read authors with discernment, they can be a source of great encouragement of thoughtfulness. Please read this link and remember that while we may not have all the answers in front of us right now, we know who holds the answers.

http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0002148.cfm