Don't know? Well I suppose I'll answer my own question.
Here's why:
Genesis 2:18, "The Lord God said, 'It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a suitable helper for him.'" So God made all the animals, birds, etc. (all the things I don't like) to be Adam's helper, but none of them were suitable. So God made woman from Adam's rib and Adam said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman for she was taken out of man." God dug that idea and said, "That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh."
Translation: Adam is no good on his own. God creates Eve. Things are good.
According to God's Word, we are to find someone we like a lot, leave our parents house, get married, have some babies.
The End.
Just Kidding.
Side-note: To any 14 year old girls reading this... Just because the Bible says we should get married, doesn't mean that you should find some punk and and be his girlfriend. You are too young to date. Song of Solomon 2:7 says, "I adjure you, Oh daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or does of the field, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases." Meaning don't date until the time is right. That time is after you graduate high school.
But I digress.
Somehow, somewhere, it came about that if you're single, you're supposed to not want to get married; to be content in your singleness. That it is somehow more glorifying to go against how God wired you than to fulfill His plan for you (being married). What you get from that ideology is a bunch of liars; a bunch of young, single girls lying about being content. We're told that when we are content, God will send us a man. So we run around going, "Okay, God, I'm content. I love being single!! Now where is he? Send me a man!"
And our young, single guys interpret "being content" as "I'm just gonna wait for God to put the right one in my path."
So girls are waiting for God to send him and guys are waiting for God to send her. Meaning no one is doing anything to find the other.
But in what other area of our life do we just wait around for something; for God to send it? Nowhere!! Guys don't wait for dinner... they tell a woman to make it for them. But theres not going to be a woman if they just sit on their lazy butts.
And I don't wait for my nails to paint themselves!
That being said, you CAN be content in your season of life- being single- but still want to be in a relationship. I enjoy being single, but I don't want to be single forever. I want God to finish what he started... I'm single but I want to be married eventually.
*I am not implying that I want to get married ASAP. I'm not the girl to get married at 21. But 3, 4, 5 years from now, I'd like to see some progress.
I write all this to say that there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to be married. There is nothing evil in wanting to find a husband or be in a relationship. So next time someone tells you to be content in your singleness, tell them to shut up... just kidding.
I've never liked the "be content" argument. It's especially annoying because it's most often coming from someone who met their spouse in high school or college.
ReplyDeleteGenesis makes it clear that people are supposed to marry. Corinthians 7 is the passage used by many Christians who insist that, if you're single right now, then it's God's will that you're single and that it's wrong to try to "do" anything to get married. However, Paul says that those who have sexual desires should marry. And marrying is discussed as a deliberate action taken by men and women.
I think the real reason why there are so many lonely singles is because, as you said, we keep hearing others tell us to do nothing. Yet when we want anything else in the world, we're told to take action. Go figure!
One point: The time mentioned in Song of Solomon 2:7 is not "after you graduate high school." It says when "it [love] pleases." Love can awaken at anytime, including during high school. I'm not saying that it's wise to marry at that age. But clearly, when girls hearts and bodies decide they're ready to love and be loved, why should someone else tell them it's wrong?
I like this! I use the "be content" argument, but I use it for all situations in life. If you're not content now (single, not single), when will you ever be content? When you have a child? When you have more than one child? When you have a house instead of an aparment? A nice car? Anyways... it's something us Christians struggle with for whatever reason. As you said, God's timing is perfect. So, enjoy the singleness, right?? I wanna get married, but I'm single for now, and I'll be content in it! Thanks for re-posting this on facebook!
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