Singleness: A Gift from God

June 23, 2025/Daniel Rowlands/
Photo Credit: pixelfit / iStock.com

Photo Credit: pixelfit / iStock.com

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I recently heard a friend say, “Singleness sucks!” Nearby, another, who has been single for eight decades commented that being single is great! No doubt, to some who enjoy the companionship and intimacy of marriage, being unmarried is surely a difficult burden to carry. And to others who prefer independence, singleness is a blessing; there is no one-size-fits-all for being attached or alone.

We love our married and unmarried brothers and sisters in Christ by the grace of God within his good design and purposes.

Remaining unmarried in life does not necessarily mean being alone though—friendships, family, and work life all help a person stay connected to others in very close and wonderfully enjoyable relationships. For many, however, being single can make family and church gatherings awkward and difficult—giving single people a feeling of being out of place among all the others who have someone close by to touch and enjoy with the special intimacy found in marriage and having children. As Christians our view toward those who by God’s providence are unmarried demands a special sensitivity and understanding in order that we may love each other by the grace of God within his good design and purposes.

God’s word reveals one of the purposes of the union of a man and woman in marriage—children:

Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly off spring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. (Mal. 2:15)

Nevertheless, singleness is also a gift from God. Paul writes the following to the church in Corinth,

I wish that all were as I myself am [single]. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am. (1 Cor . 7:7-8)

As children of God we all receive various gifts and callings from him; and though marriage and rearing children are God’s gifts, they are not the only ones. Some men and women are also called to a life without marriage and children—another of God’s gifts.

The state of marriage and the state of singleness are both part of God’s plan for his church.

That said, Christians and churches must be sensitive to avoid over-focusing on marriage and must be reminded that singleness is also a gift. From God’s point of view some should marry (1 Cor. 7:9), but both those who are single and have no desire to marry and those who have struggled to find a fitting spouse should be content—and even thankful—to remain single. It is important for churches, Christians, and families to recognize that within the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27) singleness is not any kind of failure but is indeed a special role that God desires for some.

We should all be careful not to put young people in a box by telling them that marriage is the primary goal when in God’s providence, though he desires some to marry and have children (Mal. 2:15), he also desires some not to marry. We need to recognize and support others with balance, just as God teaches us to do in Scripture.

This article is adapted from “Singleness Is a Gift from God” in Beautiful Christian Life’s May 2023 monthly newsletter, “Joy in Singleness.”

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