Singleness blog - Kingdom
I’ve written this mini blog series over the past year, sharing an honest glimpse into my experience of singleness. I’ve come to recognise that singleness is a God-given gift and a blessing to the church. At the same time, I’ve wrestled with the pain of an unfulfilled longing for marriage.
What I’ve learned most is that—whether married or single—we are all learning to trust our faithful God with desires and circumstances that are not always easy. And, most importantly, remember that marriage and singleness are both wonderful ways to glorify God.
I hope this offers a helpful insight for you.
With love, Hannah
My Sexless life is a benefit to the kingdom of heaven!
Jesus said “there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.” Matthew 19:12
A eunuch was someone who did not marry and did not have sex—either because they voluntarily abstained or, more commonly, because they were forcibly denied the ability to do so, often through castration. To choose to live like a eunuch is to choose a sexless life.
We live in a society that teaches us that what we do with our bodies is our own personal business. As long as there is consent, we are free to do whatever we like and how dare anyone tell us otherwise…
But, according to Jesus, what we do with our bodies is not personal business, it’s kingdom business.
Jesus presents only two options when it comes to sex, either we have sex in a marriage between a man and woman or we don’t have sex. Neither option is appealing in today’s society because both options take commitment and sacrifice.
But in the kingdom of heaven, we know that Jesus laid down his life for us, so the very least we can do is voluntarily lay down our sex life for Him.
Singleness means far more than just not having sex. So, does singleness benefit the kingdom of heaven?
Eunuchs often had prominent roles, serving kings and those in authority. They had positions of trust. The very fact they were celibate made them trust worthy to look after the king's harem. The Ethiopian eunuch described in Acts 8 was entrusted to be in charge of the treasury. Eunuchs were therefore an asset to earthly kingdoms. Singleness is an asset to the kingdom of heaven.
As a single person I am free from concern for a spouse or children, free to have undivided devotion to Jesus (1 Corinthians 7:32-35). It’s often the case that single people have more kingdom serving capacity than married people. I don't know if I'll always be single but as long as I am single I want to appreciate this gift that God has given me.
I want to get married one day, but until I do or if I never do, I will rejoice in singleness, because singleness isn't just waiting for a spouse. It isn't a sign of failure or something to resent. Singleness is kingdom business.
Photo by Liu JiaWei on Unsplash