1 Corinthians 7:7-8,25-26:34
1 Peter 1:13-15
by Kemi O.
In today's society, it has become even more challenging to serve the Lord faithfully as a believer who is single;for there is the overwhelming desire to fall into temptation more often than a married person. Many of our youths, both men and women have backslided completely reverting back to the old nature due to extreme peer pressure, false teachings e.g New age , immorality, strong desire for worldly possessions etc. On the other hand, there are those who have managed to resist the tactics of the enemy and have held on to their faith, living a life of obedience and holiness Psalm 119:9.
Like many of you who knew the Lord before getting married and tried to commit to doing His work, I faced my own shares of temptations and adversities as a single woman. In the process, I found myself drifting away from the Lord as a result of getting caught up with worldly things and trying to fit in with the friends I hung out with. One of those times which happen to be the very last time before the Lord now finally arrested me was while in college, I found myself enjoying the attention I was getting from guys and even the popular girls (In crowd) on campus. I enjoyed attending basketball games both home and away, house parties, clubs because that was the thing to do for entertainment while in school and you also tend to become popular with the so called " In-crowd." On weekends, my friends and I went to the best spots in Atlanta, places where the likes of "Keith Sweat, Jermaine Dupri, Tupac Shakur( deceased), TLC, etc attended back in the mid-1990s'. It got to a point, the every weekend partying began to affect my relationship with the Lord as well as my studies. I was keeping such a hectic wordly schedule while serving as an usher in the church, my conscience no longer bothered me after a while ; the enemy so much convinced me that I was still young and I had the rest of my life to serve God completely, why not have a little fun! afterall, you are not hurting anyone. Eph 5:1-3 But oh yes, I definitely was! I was hurting myself and didnt realize it until a couple of years later when I was put on academic probation because my GPA fell below 2.0, I entered into an unhealthy relationship which almost ruined my life, and at the same time, my prayer life became almost non-existent. It was at that point I had to go to the Lord and cry out for mercy and I was restored by His grace. The Lord began to transform my life by first of all weeding out those unhealthy relationships from my life, He gave me a new direction and with a bit of challenges here and there, I began to serve the Lord as best as I could, keeping my eyes fixed on Him and allowing His Holy Spirit to guide me until I got married to my God-ordained husband and of course He is still guiding me today.
Being single and serving the Lord definitely has its challenges but it is also very rewarding because as a single christian woman, after being restored, I was able to give my time without reservation and distractions to the work of God, serving in multiple areas in the church, attending conferences and seminars to help me in my christian walk. 1 Corinthians 7:34. Through such gatherings, volunteering at homeless shelters, soup kitchens and of course my local assembly, I was able to meet wonderful sisters both single, and married committed to the work of God and we formed a friendship, having fellowship together and helping each other out in times of need e.g Babysitting, needing a ride etc. So even as a single mother for example who wants to serve the Lord faithfully, your kids should not stop you from doing that. The Lord will always make a way as long as you are willing.
Whether you are a single or married woman, the ultimate goal is to do the will of the Father, fulfiling the purpose for which He has created you. Regardless of your marital status, God desires us to do whatever will enable us serve Him the best. 1 Corinthians 7:35. He has given to us His sweet Holy Spirit to be our guide, teacher, companion, director on this christian journey so it is for us to hold fast and allow Him to lead us.
1 Thess 4:8b, John 16:7,13 and remember we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Phil 4:13.
Dear Sisters, as a widow, divorcee, a single youth or you believe you are called to serve the Lord as Apostle Paul did, never getting married 1 Corinthians 7:7, I want you to know that it is a priviledge to serve the Lord in these last days without succumbing to the pressures of this perverse generation. Strive to commit all your ways to Him and He will surely direct your path. Psalm 37:5. Let the Lord always be your guide, keep your eyes fixed on Him, never allowing Satan, the "tempter and destroyer" to gain a foothold in your life and I assure you the Lord will surely reward you because He is indeed a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Heb 11:6b
Shalom.
1 Peter 1:13-15
by Kemi O.
In today's society, it has become even more challenging to serve the Lord faithfully as a believer who is single;for there is the overwhelming desire to fall into temptation more often than a married person. Many of our youths, both men and women have backslided completely reverting back to the old nature due to extreme peer pressure, false teachings e.g New age , immorality, strong desire for worldly possessions etc. On the other hand, there are those who have managed to resist the tactics of the enemy and have held on to their faith, living a life of obedience and holiness Psalm 119:9.
Like many of you who knew the Lord before getting married and tried to commit to doing His work, I faced my own shares of temptations and adversities as a single woman. In the process, I found myself drifting away from the Lord as a result of getting caught up with worldly things and trying to fit in with the friends I hung out with. One of those times which happen to be the very last time before the Lord now finally arrested me was while in college, I found myself enjoying the attention I was getting from guys and even the popular girls (In crowd) on campus. I enjoyed attending basketball games both home and away, house parties, clubs because that was the thing to do for entertainment while in school and you also tend to become popular with the so called " In-crowd." On weekends, my friends and I went to the best spots in Atlanta, places where the likes of "Keith Sweat, Jermaine Dupri, Tupac Shakur( deceased), TLC, etc attended back in the mid-1990s'. It got to a point, the every weekend partying began to affect my relationship with the Lord as well as my studies. I was keeping such a hectic wordly schedule while serving as an usher in the church, my conscience no longer bothered me after a while ; the enemy so much convinced me that I was still young and I had the rest of my life to serve God completely, why not have a little fun! afterall, you are not hurting anyone. Eph 5:1-3 But oh yes, I definitely was! I was hurting myself and didnt realize it until a couple of years later when I was put on academic probation because my GPA fell below 2.0, I entered into an unhealthy relationship which almost ruined my life, and at the same time, my prayer life became almost non-existent. It was at that point I had to go to the Lord and cry out for mercy and I was restored by His grace. The Lord began to transform my life by first of all weeding out those unhealthy relationships from my life, He gave me a new direction and with a bit of challenges here and there, I began to serve the Lord as best as I could, keeping my eyes fixed on Him and allowing His Holy Spirit to guide me until I got married to my God-ordained husband and of course He is still guiding me today.
Being single and serving the Lord definitely has its challenges but it is also very rewarding because as a single christian woman, after being restored, I was able to give my time without reservation and distractions to the work of God, serving in multiple areas in the church, attending conferences and seminars to help me in my christian walk. 1 Corinthians 7:34. Through such gatherings, volunteering at homeless shelters, soup kitchens and of course my local assembly, I was able to meet wonderful sisters both single, and married committed to the work of God and we formed a friendship, having fellowship together and helping each other out in times of need e.g Babysitting, needing a ride etc. So even as a single mother for example who wants to serve the Lord faithfully, your kids should not stop you from doing that. The Lord will always make a way as long as you are willing.
Whether you are a single or married woman, the ultimate goal is to do the will of the Father, fulfiling the purpose for which He has created you. Regardless of your marital status, God desires us to do whatever will enable us serve Him the best. 1 Corinthians 7:35. He has given to us His sweet Holy Spirit to be our guide, teacher, companion, director on this christian journey so it is for us to hold fast and allow Him to lead us.
1 Thess 4:8b, John 16:7,13 and remember we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Phil 4:13.
Dear Sisters, as a widow, divorcee, a single youth or you believe you are called to serve the Lord as Apostle Paul did, never getting married 1 Corinthians 7:7, I want you to know that it is a priviledge to serve the Lord in these last days without succumbing to the pressures of this perverse generation. Strive to commit all your ways to Him and He will surely direct your path. Psalm 37:5. Let the Lord always be your guide, keep your eyes fixed on Him, never allowing Satan, the "tempter and destroyer" to gain a foothold in your life and I assure you the Lord will surely reward you because He is indeed a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Heb 11:6b
Shalom.
1 comment:
Comment by Minister Gaynell Hickman on March 25, 2012 at 1:52pm
AMEN! Thank you, so much, Sister Kemi. I am a single Christian woman, who happens to be a single mother, as well, never married. Until the Lord blesses me with the man He, has for me, no one else, I am married to Jesus. He has never, let me down, nor will, He ever let me down. The man God has for me will love the Lord as much as I do. In Sunday school this morning, during remarks, I said, "I just want to say, I REALLY LOVE THE LORD, AND NO ONE TREATS ME LIKE JESUS DOES!
Post a Comment