It is a tragic error to think that Jesus was telling us, as he left, to start churches, as that is understood today. From time to time, starting a church may be appropriate. But his aim for us is much greater than that. He wants us to establish “beachheads” or bases of operation for the Kingdom of God wherever we are. In this way God’s promise to Abraham—that in him and in his seed all peoples of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:3)—is carried forward toward its realization. The outward effect of this life in Christ is perpetual moral revolution, until the purpose of humanity on earth is completed.
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Hard to believe, ladies, but I’m still single. Good looking blogger like me, crazy, right?
It’s easy to start moping. Our culture is a pretty lonely place, and we assume that if we found the right person we’d have all that we long for. It doesn’t help that churches tend to aim at couples and families. We throw ourselves in our jobs, or pick up a hobby or drink a lot.
This has been rightly called “the selfish years,” a time for you to do your thing and establish who you are. Which makes a lot of sense to me, except for when I read 1 Corinthians 7. Paul, the most famous of all single Christ followers thought that being single was the best possible option. Without a spouse and children, a single person can focus solely on kingdom goals.
It feels like I have been waiting around for my life to begin. In my down time, I get caught up in my career and relational failures, or ignore them by going to a party or watching Hulu. If I told Paul this, he would read me a laundry list of hurting people in my community, homeless people in my city and entire people groups who know nothing about Jesus.
Still single? Good. There’s a lot of work to do.
How do you navigate the single life? What examples have you seen of people devoting that season to God?
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