Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Sexual Ethics”
Our Bible verse for today: “An unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord – how he may please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the things of the world – how he may please his wife – and his interests are divided.” 1 Corinthians 7:32-34 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “Being single is ok.”
I read an article in the newspaper the other day which reported that the U.S. Census Bureau has discovered that more than half of all the adults in the USA today are not married. Some have never married, others have married and divorced, others are widows or widowers, but more than half of the adults in our country are not married.
Being single is often viewed as an unfortunate condition that we need to help the single person correct. This can be especially true in Christian circles. But that’s not an accurate description of singleness and it’s also not Biblical. Certainly there are some singles who are lonely and who long for a partner to go through life with, but many others do not feel that way.
Years ago I was speaking about this very thing with a middle-aged single woman in our church in California. She was an attractive professional woman who had a rewarding and fulfilling career in public service. She was active in civic organizations, and she was also very involved in the life of our church. Her relationship with the Lord was deep, she had a circle of close friends, and she had hobbies and interests such as music and reading and sports. In short, she had a good life. The comment she made to me which has stuck with me all these years was, “Pastor, I live alone but I am not lonely. I love my life. It is rich and full and rewarding and I’m very happy.”
A false assumption many of us make is that people have to be married or in a meaningful romantic relationship in order to be happy. That argument is frequently made when it comes to the subject of same-sex relationships. It is often said that it would be unfair and perhaps even cruel to suggest that the individual with a same-sex attraction should opt for a single and celibate life rather than a homosexual relationship.
But it is not cruel or unfair – it is Biblical. Same-sex attraction is real and it does require discipline and intentionality to control, but it can be done and it can be done well. And, such a life can be happy, rich, and fulfilling. In 1 Corinthians 7:32-34 the Apostle Paul recommended the single life for the sake of deeper spirituality and greater service to the Lord.
Same-sex attraction is undeniably real, but so are many other attractions and desires which the Bible forbids us to act on. It is possible to bring all such desires under the control of the Holy Spirit and to then live a life within Biblical boundaries. Tomorrow we will consider the stories of several Christians with same-sex attraction who have chosen and are very happy with the single life.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 