Unmarried and Undivided

I have observed this fact regarding people my age sharing statuses on Facebook: There are some who share the miracle of giving birth and having a child. The, there are couples who joyfully announce their engagement or celebrate their wedding and marriage. Still, you have others who share the excitement of embarking on a new romantic relationship. Me? I share blog posts.

This humorous anecdote is not meant to be a grumble. I am not publicly complaining about my lack of a relationship. Rather, I have realized I have been focusing on the wrong relationship. As a single, I have spent so much time focusing on pursuing a relationship with a girl I have not spent time focusing on my relationship with God. A recent rejection from a godly young lady brought this truth to light for me.

God has opened my eyes to the reality He has given me this season of singleness and, in the language of John Piper, I must not waste my singleness. The Apostle Paul touches on this subject when he says in 1 Corinthians 7:32-35,

I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.

Unmarried and undivided. That is how I am beginning to see the season God has placed me in. While I do still have the desire for marriage, I believe God has allowed me to remain single for the time being so I can focus my attention fully on Him. Paul says the unmarried man can secure “undivided devotion to the Lord”. Certainly such devotion will look different in each case but with the same goal in mind: to glorify God. That said, I am eager to share with you what unmarried and undivided looks like for me. It can be summed up in three words: Entrusted By God.

• The Weekly Word (Intentional Improvements)

Since March 2014, Entrusted By GOD has been providing weekly devotionals its readers. Just this year we added other contributors to write for the blog. It has been a fruitful endeavor. As we look ahead, we are considering ways we can intentionally improve this weekly devotional, giving you a biblical and robust resource for your Christian walk.

• Yearly Themes

This year we began the Discerning in Our Learning  series. Driven by our passion to teach Christians to live as stewards of the gospel, our plan is to continue with a theme next year. Sometime during 2016 Entrusted By GOD will run the theme: Stand Firm! Living with Conviction and Compassion in a World of Confusion and Compromise. We will be addressing the issues of biblical authority and sexuality.

• Bible Studies/ Book Projects

In addition to the blog, our desire is to produce Bible studies and book projects in the future. The goal over the next couple of years is to produce a Bible study on Romans 6-8, titled Walking in the Newness of Life, as well as projects titled Something More: Finding the Joy and Purpose of Life and Stewards on Mission.

• Entrusted By GOD: The Book

Here is the most exciting news for me to share in terms of what it looks like to be unmarried and undivided: I am setting out to write a book. For the last couple of years, God has really been impressing on me this matter of stewardship. As I have looked around at our culture, we are so deceived by an ‘entitlement’ mentality when God has called us to live by an ‘entrusted’ one. I have begun to inquire of self-publishing companies to see where I could publish the book. I believe this is a timely message to share and want to devote time to write it.

What I would like to ask of you, then, is for your prayers as I work on this book and my blog. The items mentioned above are not exhaustive in regards to what I am working on. Therefore, your prayers would be and are much appreciated.

Entrusted with God’s Grace,
Theron

Photo Source: https://rubylaurenmanuel.wordpress.com/