So, okay, now what?
You recognize that this time of singleness may actually be a colossal opportunity, that you can spend this time committing more and more to the God who loves you to death (and actually did love you to death- death on a cross). That learning how to be a whole person in Christ is the focus right now.
And we've done some reading about it, and some chewing on it. Now it's time to start to put it into action.
We can't truly change or grow until we actually do something about it.
Enter spiritual disciplines.
And before you click away because the term "spiritual disciplines" sounds like something from the dark ages--
Trust me here. It's important.
Developing strong habits, positive character changes, testing out that "self-control" muscle in your soul- these are extremely important parts of growing in Christ. Growing in Christ has no marital status requirements; to be sure, in all honesty, I've found it to be more difficult to practice spiritual disciplines while married than when I was single. I wish that I'd committed them to routine and habit much more firmly when I was single.
We know that we've done nothing to deserve salvation, no. Salvation was freely given to us by a loving God, but we are supposed to grow. Salvation is often compared to re-birth, and new Christians as infants- but just as humans don't remain infants forever, neither should we remain as newborns in our lives of faith.
1 Peter 2:2-3: "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good."The way we grow, the means of maturing in faith, is by walking in Him.
2 Peter 3:18: "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
Colossians 2:6-7: "Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude."
The term "spiritual disciplines" is one way to describe habits that can really help us to walk in Him. We're going to take some time the next week or so to break down three of the disciplines- the basics, if you will. And I'll give you some resources to help and inspire you.
Remember,
I love your blog, it's a lovely space filled with encouragement and wisdom and love. I'm not single but I always enjoy your post.
ReplyDeletewww.hollandsreverie.blogspoy.com
Well, thank you!
DeleteI feel like so often, the "marrieds" have more resources about growth than the single folks do- and so I wanted to provide some single-focused stuff to help the non-married folks to grow in faith. Of course, that's not to say that us married people can't be working on these, too! (I know that I'm still workin' on it!)