Here are 3 signs God is calling you to pursue a life of marriage rather than a life of singleness.
And on a quick side note, there are only a few more days to enroll in AGW University. To learn more about my relationship training courses and email coaching designed for Christian singles who desire to be married one day, click here to visit AGW University.
1. If Marriage Would Be “Better” for You, Then God Is Calling You to Pursue a Life of Marriage Rather than Singleness
There is a lot of confusion when it comes to understanding what the Bible says about singleness because many people read passages like 1 Corinthians 7 and conclude that the Bible teaches us that singleness is actually better than marriage. Many people read 1 Corinthians 7 and feel the Bible tells Christians that to truly love God one would remain single. For in 1 Corinthians 7:32-34 Paul said:
I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided.”
Clearly the take away from this Bible passage is that singleness does offer a distinct advantage to serving and loving God compared to marriage. But this is why it is so important to study Scripture in context, for if you keep reading in 1 Corinthians 7 you will find other Bible verses that say this about singleness and marriage:
But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion. . . . Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. . . . If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry—it is no sin.” (1 Corinthians 7:9, 17, 36, emphasis mine.)
So which is better according to the Bible, singleness or marriage? The way I have come to interpret the point of 1 Corinthians 7 is that singleness is better than marriage in general when individual variables are not in the equation. But when you start factoring in actual people asking if singleness or marriage is better for them individually, then singleness is not always better. This is why in 1 Corinthians 7:7 it states, “But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.”
I believe the point of 1 Corinthians 7 is that a Christian single should pursue a life of singleness or marriage based upon which would better equip that person to serve God. You will know which gift God has given you, marriage or singleness, by seeing which one would better equip you to honor the Lord.
2. If a Life of Singleness Is a Sacrifice You Do Not Want to Make, This Probably Means This Is a Sacrifice God Is Not Asking You to Make; Therefore You Should Pursue Marriage
I’m certainly not saying that God just calls us to do what we want to do and if we don’t want to do something God is not calling us to do that. No sacrifice seems pleasant in the moment so if that was the case, we would never make any sacrifices for God. But there is also an element of being equipped for God’s call. In other words, if you want to know where God is calling you, you need to also look at how God has equipped you.
If you are not best equipped to live a life of singleness this is a good sign God is not calling you to pursue that. As we just discussed in point 1, one sign that someone is called to singleness is if being single would better equip them for ministry. Another sign that God is calling you to a life of singleness is if you are truly content being single and do not have a strong desire for sex and marriage as it explains in 1 Corinthians 7:1-9.
Many people worry and become anxious about whether or not God is calling them to pursue singleness because they really want to be married. However, the fact that this person is worrisome and anxious about being single is usually a sign God is calling them to pursue marriage. As you read through 1 Corinthians 7, for example, there is a strong link between a Christian’s personal desire for marriage and them being called to pursue marriage. For as 1 Corinthians 7:36 states, “. . . let him do as he wishes: let them marry—it is no sin.”
3. If God Is Preparing You to Receive a Godly Marriage with Thanksgiving, This Is a Good Sign God Is Calling You to Pursue Marriage Rather than Singleness
It seems clear that the Bible does not command singleness for those who don’t want it. For in 1 Timothy 4:1-5 the Bible says that false teachers are the ones who forbid marriage, which should not be done because God made marriage to be received with thanksgiving for those who pursue it in holiness. It states:
Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.”
Marriage is not a man-made idea. Marriage was created by God, therefore you do not need to reject marriage if you receive it with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. This means that the condition of your heart is a big factor in determining what is good for you and not good for you. When you spend time in prayer and in God’s word, your heart will be healthy and living holy through the Spirit, and thus you will be able to glorify God with the gift of marriage.
Now, nothing I’ve said thus far means you will absolutely be married. Everything I’ve said thus far is just about the call to pursue marriage. We will only know if God will allow you to be married once you actually get married. But you first need to know if you should pursue marriage because without pursing it you will not just magically wake up married one day. There is a real step-by-step journey when it comes to meeting, dating, and marrying the one God has for you.
There are many Christians who want to be married who never get married for a variety of other factors (bad choices, no options, or God just having a different plan). However, I do believe the Bible says that if you want to be married and you don’t want to be single forever, you should actively pursue marriage rather than actively pursuing singleness.
If you want help figuring out what is the best biblical path for you to follow as you actively pursue a godly marriage, then you may really enjoy AGW University. AGW University is where I offer biblical and practical courses specifically for Christian singles who want to be married along with personalized email coaching with me. These courses are for people who enjoy this website but want to go even deeper with me in ways that are not possible on this platform.
I’m currently offering 4 courses that walk you through all the necessary steps you need to take to meet the one God has for you. We start by focusing on ourselves and by the end of the courses we will be focusing on practical strategies to help you interact with the opposite sex in the most effective way possible.
I’m also really excited about my newest course that I’m adding in as a free bonus if you enroll before the deadline of Sunday, May 17th. This bonus course is all about how to most effectively use online dating. I believe this course is especially important nowadays due to all the social distancing requirements that are going on. So if you’re wondering how to date in a post-Covid-19 world, this course will really help.
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