the beauty of singleness

I was talking with my friend today and we were sharing about how teenage girls today seem to forget about the beauty of singleness. Young girls often mourn and speak about their dissatisfaction because they are not loved and invested in a romantic relationship. Even though this is an issue that I have written about in previous blog posts, I hope to expand and spread positive energy to young women because I really think that there is so much more to life than being unsatisfied about God’s plan.

Just so that you understand where I come from… I am not in a relationship at the moment, so I confess that sometimes, I simultaneously covet being loved by a Prince Charming. From looking at people’s prom pictures, date night Instagram posts to any sort of cute facebook interactions, I can’t help but wonder when it is going to be my turn to display that joy/happiness that comes from finding a significant other. I am often left wondering if something is possibly wrong about me…what makes me unlikeable? Should I modify who I am that I can be that kind of girlfriend that guys would actually like? …BUT, do you live in the moment and really ponder about the great advantages that you have right now? I hope to number off several things that will get your mind moving. You may not agree with everything I write, but I hope some part of this blog post will resonate in your mind

1) You are a princess…would a King ever want His daughter to ever get hurt? One of my favourite Sunday School teachers once talked about how as God’s children, we are basically the princes and princesses of the great Kingdom. For all the single young women out there, we should be thankful that God is our protector. Even though we are not receiving affection from other men, God is actually protecting us from any possible harm that may come in a romantic relationship. I know friends who have entered relationships (both Christian and not) where they felt trapped and sad. Even though I’m not saying that all young men are abusers, God doesn’t want to see our hearts shattered again and again. He plans so that we enter steady relationships that doe not stimulate cycles of extreme emotions, but ones that will allow us to grow. Be confident that He is preparing a Prince Charming that will treat you as a true princess, someone who loves you for who you are.

     

           2) Freedom. From personal experience, I feel that being single allows me to get my hands dirty with service projects at church. Do I ever have to worry about date nights? Or worry about what my boyfriend thinks about my (over)involvement in ministries? Or worry about spending too much time with my other BASIC (brothers and sisters-in-Christ)? The answer is “NO!” I think that the joy that I receive from helping and chatting with others about Jesus may actually be greater than what one single person can ever give me.

      

           3)  Maybe you and your future significant other are just not ready yet. From a Christian perspective, we want to get into relationships that are Christ-centered. In many ways, singleness is just God making sure that you have a solid relationship with Him first. Using an analogy, God is just like your math tutor, who wants to work exclusively with you on certain skills before you learn with others. Moreover, as the man in a relationship, there is great responsibility to not only be strong leader, but to also be the one that shows masculinity according to the Word…That is not easy. Vice versa, the act of submission of a young girl is also not simple. Personally, I certainly haven’t mastered that one! As individuals, God wants us to work on our flaws, before taking the burden to hold accountable to someone else’s spiritual life too!

Hope you get a chance to reflect about the beauty that comes with being single. 

~cho