We were created to be in relationship with each other. As human beings, we’ve been wired to seek out others and not go through life isolated. Our external environment sends the wrong message about relationships, suggesting that we’ll never be happy or complete on our own. This puts undue pressure on singles; thankfully, understanding God’s Word in this area brings clarity.

It’s Okay to Be Single

Being single isn’t a setback, a curse, or a waiting room for something better. It’s a season filled with growth and intimacy with God, one that provides an opportunity to develop a personal relationship with Him. In a world that often measures worth by relationship status, we’re invited to take a different approach: prioritizing knowing God over everything else. For the single person, this isn’t just a spiritual suggestion, but a life-changing principle.

The key to fulfillment, clarity, and peace in our time of singleness doesn’t lie in striving or proving ourselves. It lies in spending quality time with Jesus. From this will flow every other good thing we need, including joy, provision, wisdom, and purpose.

Developing a Real Relationship with God

There’s a difference between knowing about God versus really knowing Him. How we spend our time matters. We can either use it chasing after relationships with other people, or be intentional in cultivating a close relationship with God that will anchor us through every season of life. “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord” (2 Peter 1:2). This kind of knowledge is experiential and has no substitute; it provides the power to change us from the inside out.

The temptation for us is to wait for our “life to begin” when we meet someone. However, the kind of life God wants for us has many layers and facets to it, and goes much deeper than we realize. Spending time with Him gives us peace of mind, provision, clarity, confidence, and everything else we need to be happy and successful. God clearly reminds us that our lives are already overflowing with potential because of who we know, not what we have.

God Longs to Help and Guide Us

There’s a lot to be said for patience. Waiting on God isn’t wasting time, but actually a powerful alignment. It’s easy to feel pressured to figure everything out or to make things happen in our own strength. Aligning ourselves to receive God’s supernatural assistance means moving away from relying solely on human effort. “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses and trust in chariots because they are many... but they look not to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek and consult the Lord!” (Isaiah 31:1, AMPC).   

In biblical terms, Egypt represents human strength and worldly systems. Prioritizing human solutions over seeking God causes us to forfeit His help. Whether it’s listening to dating advice from unreliable sources or rushing into relationships to avoid loneliness, we end up more discouraged than empowered.

Seeking God First Makes Us Different

Living a God-first life while dating isn’t mutually exclusive. Seeking God before anything or anyone else releases every other blessing; putting Him first allows Him to intervene on our behalf. This may not be what we see others doing, but it makes us stand out as being different and set apart. “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him” (Isaiah 64:4). God’s plans for us include relationships that are more wonderful and joyful than we could ever imagine. 

It's not easy staying pure and living godly in these end times. The pressure around us to cave in and live like everyone else does is enormous. It can be discouraging and make us want to give up; it’s at times like these when we need God’s help to resist and stay strong. Knowing God in a real way infuses strength into our being. “…But the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits” (Daniel 11:32).

Single Christians Face Spiritual Challenges

Crazy things are happening around us, but we can’t get drawn into them against our better judgment. We see abusive relationships, toxic relationships, and people who are together who never should have entered into a relationship in the first place. Knowing God, walking with Him, and letting Him guide us strengthens and shields us from this.    

As Christians living in a spiritually noisy world, we need to listen to the voice of our heavenly Father. Just like our earthly parents, He has our safety in mind; He knows better than us and has the wisdom and discernment we need. There are plenty of other voices circulating around us, but they’re not His. Pursuing a relationship with God tunes our spiritual ears to pick out His voice from so many others. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).

With God, We’re Never Alone

God will take care of us and never steer us wrong. He took care of Elija the Tishbite during a drought that lasted years. He guided Isaiah, satisfied his soul during drought, and made him like a watered garden. This is prosperity, and prosperity comes from a relationship with the Lord.

God promises to do the same with us on every level, including in our relationships. He wants to satisfy our souls when we feel like we’re going through a drought season as singles. Our souls are where our minds, thoughts, and emotions reside; entrusting our souls to Him protects us from making a bad decision based on our emotions or mistaken thought processes.

Seeking God first, consulting Him before turning to people, and practicing the art of being alone with Him gives Him the space to perfect everything concerning us. No human plan or romantic timeline can compete with what God has already prepared for those who wait on Him. Our future isn’t on hold, but instead unfolding in the presence of the one who loves us most. We can therefore take heart; we may be singles, but we’re never alone.