In singleness, how do we navigate loneliness and the desire for companionship, love, and wanting to be wanted? What does it look like to honor God with our singleness?
Journal Entry, Age 32
I’m a single, a sexual being, with longings for companionship. If I didn’t struggle sometimes, it’d be concerning. I’d be like a robot! But I have found that it is possible to walk this out, with God’s strength.
What can we do when singleness is difficult? There are times of loneliness and worry about the future in the area of desire for marriage. There are challenges about feeling good about yourself without affirmation from others – knowing your worth and having healthy self-esteem based solely on what God says about you.
How do we embrace the God-given desires in our heart to love and be loved, without feeding our longings so much so that we cannot experience contentment? How do we live out our singleness as a healthy, whole, content, joyful person, just like Jesus did?
Journal Entry, 20s
I’m so happy for this time being single, where I can get to know me, and have time just with me and Jesus. But as it gets time to head to bed, I can’t help but long for when I won’t be going to bed alone.
Journal Entry, 30s
Sometimes it is a blessing to live alone – after a busy day, it’s pretty great coming home to just be able to rest. But sometimes, it feels sad, and I long for when someone will be there in the evenings with me. I’ll have someone to spend Saturdays with. Companionship.
Journal Entry during the pandemic
Honestly, I was feeling pretty frustrated about my singleness. Frustrated that I’ve trusted God with my love life all these years and He would still have me be single, especially during this crazy time in history.
Journal Entry, 30s
I only feel lonely when I’m reminded that I’m alone (usually triggered through seeing something on social media). Then, I find myself suddenly confronted with my aloneness. And with loneliness comes sadness. I don’t know the future. As time goes by and bit by bit my youth is fading, I increasingly wonder if someone will want to marry me.
Journal Entry, 30s
Sometimes I stress as it feels my beauty, marriageability, baby-bearing years are fading faster than I can meet someone. That question, “Will someone choose me?”... but Jesus has been asking me throughout my life, “Will you choose me?” “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 8:26). His voice is not accusatory, but more like, “I’m so trustworthy – don’t you know that by now?”.