Trust the ultimate Bridegroom
Sometimes I wish I wasn’t single. But most of the time, I’m perfectly content to chow down on chili cheese fries at a basketball game with a girlfriend.
A reader recently told me he loves seeing what a single woman can do in the kingdom of God without obligations to husband or family.
His remark made me smile — especially since he didn’t follow it up with, “I’m sure God will send you someone someday.”
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not offended when people say my prince will come. Often, it’s encouraging to know they see me as marriage material! But I do have a small quibble: I can’t say with certainty that there’s a wedding in my future.
Now before you say, “Oh Katie, just have faith,” let me explain.
I’m not being pessimistic. Rightly or wrongly, I still think I will probably get married one day. However (and you might want to sit down for this), the Bible never says, “There’s someone out there for everyone.” And God hasn’t told me explicitly that He has a husband for me in this life.
In the South, we treat marriage like a given, but it’s not. And that’s not a tragedy.
The apostle Paul knew this. In fact, he was a big proponent of singleness (1 Corinthians 7), though of course, he said marriage was no sin. He noted that single believers could more easily prioritize the things of God because they’re not worried about pleasing their spouses. Sort of like what that reader told me in our conversation.
I can see the truth in Paul’s words, though of course I also see constant examples of how powerful a Christ-centered marriage can be. And I love my life as a single woman:
I have a wonderful roommate, one who destresses by cooking, which means I eat well. I have dinner with my immediate family every week — hmmm, I see a pattern. God uses His people at my church (including plenty of married couples!) to encourage me in the faith. I have fun with friends on weekends, I attend a crazy workout class at 6 a.m. because I can, I travel occasionally and I’m rarely bored.
Of course, sometimes, I don’t love it. Just as married people sometimes “love but don’t like” their spouses, single people don’t always rejoice over their singleness. But I’ve asked the Lord to conform my desires to His — to make me desire whatever He desires for me — whether He wants me to marry or not. I consider this prayer already answered (1 John 5:14-15).
That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t love to get married one day. But whether it happens or not, I’m going to keep enjoying God’s blessings to the fullest! And that includes running this publication, which is a dream come true.
Whatever your relationship status, we could all benefit from spending some time with this month’s cover couple, André and Maggie Wade Dixon. The WLBT anchor is every bit as sweet as you think, but her hubby is no slouch — he’s both a prayer warrior and a hilarious storyteller.
Also, it’s Black History Month: The Two Mississippi Museums have a new exhibit featuring artifacts from a sunken slave ship, and a cross-continental business is offering custom bracelets that’ll make you want to visit Ghana.
A new monthly Bible study by Kevin Jackson will take us through Psalm 119 chunk by chunk in each edition. And in another new column, counselor Barbara Martin does her best to give a biblical perspective on difficult questions you might be asking (page 36).
Whether we’re single or married, God has good plans for us. In the end, the marriage feast of the Lamb will be better than any earthly wedding buffet. And if we have put our faith in Christ’s death for our sins and His resurrection, our ultimate union with Him will be better than the intimacy of earthly marriage. Can’t imagine it? You don’t have to. Just trust the Bridegroom.
“And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” – Revelation 21:2–3
