Singleness is a good time for...

I want to steward this time of singleness well! I want to make the most of this time to discover and accomplish ALL that God has for me. I want to live a fruitful life.

Let’s do some inventory. Where are you at now in these areas? Where do you want to be? Throughout the rest of the PureHeart Challenge, we will delve into many of these areas:

• Singleness is a good time for pursuing emotional healthiness. I believe that pursuing healthiness as a single is much less complicated than beginning to pursue healthiness after marriage.
• Singleness is a good time to discover the unique dreams, passions and giftings God has placed in me. (Every person has these, but many just haven’t spent the time to determine what they are – who best to sit down with than your Creator?)
• Singleness is a good time to focus on what is good in my life and practice joy, thankfulness and contentment. Look around and see the family God has placed you in. Look at what you HAVE, not at what you don’t have.
• Singleness is a good time to discover the mystery that in Jesus, I find all that I need. A major focus for me has been to get Jesus into first place in my life. I know that I would have put unrealistic expectations on my husband to meet my needs had I not intentionally pursued getting Jesus into that first place in my life as the source I seek for ALL my needs. I imagine that that would have resulted in great stress on my marriage! When Jesus is first, all the other relationships in my life are blessings, but not my sustenance. (We will focus on this in Part 5.)
• Singleness is a good time to take inventory of the unmet needs I feel, and learn how they can be met in healthy ways as a single. I believe it is important to not carry a bunch of unmet needs into a marriage.
• Singleness is a good time to work through issues of self-esteem, get to know myself and see myself the way God sees me. As I have spent time with myself, I have really come to love who I am (not vanity!).
• If I have sexual baggage, singleness is a great time to work through that.
• If I have out-of-control sexual desires, singleness is a great time to work through those.
• Singleness is a good time to lay down my expectations and plans of how I thought my love life would look. I have walked through emotions of anger towards God regarding this: “I trusted You... yet I’m still single”, and coming again to that place of surrender. Are there any difficult conversations you need to have with God regarding your singleness?

Are there any specific areas (or additional areas not mentioned above) that you would like to pursue greater levels of healthiness and freedom?

I encourage you to entrust your life to God. Surrender your dreams and desires to Him. It is the utmost act of trust. He is fully trustworthy. Entrust your dreams and desires to Him for His safekeeping. He treasures them and takes care of them. Keep your eyes on Him rather than on your dreams. Walk with him, carrying no burdens. He holds everything for you. He has many, many dreams for you, and as you walk along with Him you begin to only want what He has for you. And keep listening to Him for when He invites you to dream with Him and believe Him for these dreams and desires.

Would you like to do this right now, with Him?

Prayer:

Jesus, I don't want to miss out on anything you have for me. Help me to live with joy, thankfulness and contentment. I entrust You with my life and with all my needs and desires. Show me how You have not left me in lack, but are fully able to meet all of my needs. Show me what this means.

Prayer from Psalm 145:19-146:9
God, You fulfill the desires of those who fear You. (Psalm 145:19)
I trust You with the desires in my heart.
I do not put my trust nor my hope in a person to fulfill me. (Psalm 146:3)
But my hope is in You, Lord my God. (Psalm 146:5)
You, who are faithful forever. (Psalm 146:6)
And You sustain the singles. (Psalm 146:9)