“An unmarried woman is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world – how she can please her husband.

I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 7:34-35

Paul advocates to the church to be single, but if you must marry then do so. Many feel the pressures to get married at a young age. Especially in college there is an expectation that you find a career and a spouse. The common phrase used at my school was “ring by spring.” There is an expectation as a young adult that your life should be neatly figured out and wrapped up with a pretty bow. So how does Paul’s call to be single fit in with the pressures and expectations of the world telling you that you should care, that you should make it a priority, and that you should rush to the altar to start your married life?

Well it doesn’t really fit in. Paul understood something that can take a while for people to fully grasp and understand – the bottom line to being single. It is important to be single because then you have nothing to steal your time and attention away from the Lord. As soon as you enter into a relationship, your time is now divided between working on your relationship with you and God, and that other person.

In the greater picture, you have your whole life to be married, but only a short time where you have the opportunity to just focus on you and God. Once you finish college, build your career, get married, start having kids and a mortgage – your time will be torn and divided.

So instead of worrying about the ‘when’ and the ‘who,’ start focusing your time, heart, and talents on building your relationship with God…your ultimate lifetime partner.

Paul’s my homeboy. He knew what was up and that the bottom line to being single was to have undivided devotion to God. Paul knew what was important and what can steal our time and attention from what really does matter in the long run. Perceive your singleness as a joy, a freeing experience to really follow after what God is leading you to do right now in your life, and an exclusive time to invest in your relationship with God.

What is God calling you to do right now being single that you wouldn’t be able to do if you were married or in a committed relationship?