After graduating from college, God sent me to minister to teenagers in Holts Summit, Missouri, for five years. I invested a lot of time and energy into discipling those teenagers—especially the girls. We had class on Sunday mornings, discipleship meetings on Sunday nights, and youth group on Wednesday nights. We participated in online conferences for young ladies, which required a lot of planning, organization, and commitment. The girls messaged me with questions or when they needed help, and I tried to regularly pray for them and send them spiritual encouragement.
Although I wanted to be married at the time, in retrospect, I would not have invested in those girls nearly as much if I had a husband and young children to care for.
God had a reason for keeping me single during those years. Although my season of singleness has lasted far longer than I would have chosen, taking time to identify God’s purposes for each season of life helps me find joy.
Seeing Seasons through God’s Eyes
In the last year, I published a book about homemaking. Although the principles I share in the book apply to women of all ages and stages of life, I wrote the book from a perspective of singleness. As I wrote, I imagined a single woman sitting across the table from me as I shared my heart.
This was a book I had to write as a single woman. Now I’m writing a second book for single young ladies dealing with purity and relationships. At the same time, I write blog posts, several of which reflect what I am learning during these single years.
When I ask why God has not brought me a husband yet, I already know part of the answer. He wants me to share my experiences in this season. He wants me to encourage other single (and married) ladies. He wants you to know that you are not alone and that He has a glorious, fulfilling plan for your life.
For some reason, God has chosen me to communicate this message. It is not the purpose I would have picked, yet it is one that brings me deep satisfaction. In moments when I feel most discouraged about singleness, I work on these books and blog posts. As I write, God reminds me of all the wonderful things He has done for me, and I am very aware God has a purpose for my singleness.
Embracing Your Season’s Purpose
What is God’s purpose for you in your season of life?
Maybe you are a college student, and God’s purpose for you right now is to prepare for your future work. Maybe you are a high school student getting through school, being a blessing to your family, and encouraging those you interact with every day. Maybe you are working in a business supporting that company’s mission and being a godly testimony to your coworkers. Maybe you invest in young children as a teacher, aunt, older sister, or mother. Maybe you are a musician who uses music to point people to the God of beauty, joy, and holiness.
Whatever purpose God has given you today, identify it and embrace it.
Do not look around at others’ purposes and compare yours to theirs. God has a purpose for each and every one of us in every stage of life, and no two people have exactly the same purpose. God called Abraham to be a patriarch, Moses to be a leader of Israel, Deborah to be a judge, David to be a king, Esther to be a queen, Jeremiah to be a prophet, Mary to be a mother, and Paul to be an apostle. Each of them glorified God by faithfully doing what God uniquely created them to do.
God has a unique purpose for you and for me today. Joy comes when we embrace that purpose and thank God for it.
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. . . . He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.” –Ecclesiastes 3:1, 12
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If this adapted excerpt from my book Opening the Hope Chest: A Single Girl’s Guide to Homemaking, has blessed you, check out the book itself for more biblical insights about life and practical tips on homemaking. Available on Amazon!
A great theme statement here: ‘Each of them glorified God by faithfully doing what God uniquely created them to do.’ Thanks for an important post.
Yes! I love that God has an individual plan for each of us.