The Blessing of Being Single

What's up folks...

I know the title of this post sounds crazy and so opposite of what our "society" thinks, but trust me, being single has been such a blessing to me. If you want to know why, then keep reading :P

In my time of singleness, I learnt God has taught me SO much!Instead of being pessimistic about being single, or filling up my head with thoughts of loneliness, I have seen the bright side of the situation and decided to  take full advantage of my singleness. But hey, don't get me wrong, I do want to get married some day and have a family of my own (and there's totally nothing wrong with that). My point here is, in my current life of singleness, I have learned so much about being content to the point where if Christ was to call me to the life of singleness for the rest of my life, I would be okay with that.

With that being said, here's some points about the advantages of being single:

I LOVE this quote! (Same goes for a guy)

• Finding my Identity

Have you ever had a friend who started dating (or married) someone, and day by day, you realize that you don't even recognize who he or she is any more because they have become so much like their significant other? Yep....that's a little something called "losing your individuality"! Many times, when we jump into a relationship without first knowing and understanding who we are as an individual, we get caught up in the other person's identity, to the point where we don't even realize it! Being single have given me time to "find and understand" myself as an individual, and let me tell you, Christ has really helped me to truly understand who I am in Him! When you find your identity in Christ, you become whole, and His love completes you. When we go into relationships without fully understanding who we are, we end up building our "everything" in a fallible person. When things go wrong or the relationship doesn't work out, we are lost! Never forget, sharks were born already knowing how to swim. You should go into a relationship already being complete, find someone that complements your completeness. 

Some questions that helped me to find my identity are as follows:

1. Who am I in Christ?

2. What has God called me to do? What is my service or my purpose on earth?

3. What are my values, morals and belief systems? Do I stand firm in my beliefs?

• The gift of TIME!

Being single has allowed me to have a lot of time on my hands. With the time I have, I try to use it wisely by doing things that pleases God and brings Him glory. I also have time to pamper myself and not feel as selfish lol *insert meek smile here*. While being single, I don't have to worry about spending time nurturing a relationship...that time can be used to do other things such as personal time with God, travelling, pursuing my passions, service to others, understanding myself as an individual etc. 

*Disclaimer: Just because you are in a relationship does not mean that any of these things can't be done. I'm just focusing on advantages of being single. :O)

• I learn Patience and Trust in God's plan and timing.

Learning to wait and trust God's plan has helped me greatly in building a strong Christ-like character. Patience is one of those ESSENTIAL qualities needed before you get married and to STAY married. I saw an encouraging quote one day (don't really know who it's by, but I remember what it said) "Don't worry if you are single, God is looking down at you saying 'I'm saving this one for someone special'." Isn't that just beautiful?! I know it's hard to be patient while watching your friends date, while you're not being pursued and/or  still single, but trust me, learning to wait on God brings beautiful rewards and abundant blessings! During your season of waiting, work on improving your life, don't compromise your standards or settle for less, and most importantly, BE AT PEACE.

1. "For I know the plans I have for you" said the Lord, "plans of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope" Jeremiah 29:11

2. I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope. Psalm 130:5

3. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27: 14

• I get to prepare myself for marriage.

Like I said before, I want to get married and have a family of my own (if that's God's will), but at the same time, if God was to call me to the life of singleness, I would be content with that as well. With that being said, being single has given me the opportunity to fully equip myself and prepare for the marriage life. Although I know that I will never be fully prepared, it's better if I have some knowledge of what's to come and what can be avoided, than to go into a marriage relation clueless. While God is giving me the opportunity to prepare for marital affairs, I will take full advantage of it. It's better to study now and benefit later, than to loaf around and regret it later. 

What are some advantages of you being single? Any more ideas that you would like to add to the list? I would love to hear your thoughts!