To My Single 20-Somethings... You’re Not a Disease
Dear Single Woman in her 20’s,
I’ve been you. I’ve been bitter. I’ve been frustrated. I’ve been the “so strong and independent I don’t even need a man” girl. I have been her. I’m not denying the fact that you are that person. I’m actually going to share with you some advice that I think will be helpful that changed my opinion about a lot of things. And this may not change your view or perspective as you scroll through Facebook, Instagram, your text messages with engagement and pregnancy announcement after announcement. This is all normal to feel. The green eyed monster that you have towards your dear friends that you may not even notice is there, well, it’s there. I want to let you know it doesn’t always have to be this way.
In June 2015, I picked up a book that had been long recommended to me. Let me tell you, there is no book other than the Bible with basic principles that will give you the advice you need to be content in your singleness. There is no cure for being a single woman. It is not a disease. It is actually one of the most amazing times of your life. And while I didn’t live in singleness for very long, I know that it is so beautiful, as that is where I discovered some of the most incredible words of wisdom from God comes in being alone. To be alone doesn’t necessarily mean you are needing to be lonely. You have some amazing people in your life.
As a single woman, I went out with my girlfriends. I went on beach vacations, got to travel to favorite destinations (i.e. Baltimore and Nashville), and even got to see family that I don’t hardly get to see unless I’m single. Being single was a gift. It caused me to be present and to pour over into people I wouldn’t have been able to pour into previously. Part of that was investing in my other single friends. I had unique experiences as a chronic dater that rivaled that of a married woman who had been twice divorced with several children. Nothing wrong with any of these experiences as they are unique to each person. I feel as though it is an opportunity to learn.
Lessons that I walked away with:
1. You don’t have to be married with children to be fruitful and multiply. To be fruitful is to be bearing a positive fruit of some kind. This can be in the form of social justice, mentoring, volunteering, or a combination of the three. We have an opportunity to be married to Christ at the fullest extent. Have you ever wondered “wow! I have so much time on my hands… what am I going to do?” This is perfect for you to “go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands” that Christ has given you. Do not despise this time period. To be fruitful and multiply is a command given to increase the kingdom, not just flood the earth with bodies. You can multiply more as a single person as you don’t have to worry about your small clan. You could either multiply and disciple your own 2.5 children and wait until they are 18 in order to go and continue multiplying in the congregation, or you can be an Ekklesia and love as a single person unconditionally. Let your heart grow in capacity for those that are seeking love in all the wrong places. Don’t just judge righteously, live righteously. Actions spread like wildfire more than words. We know celebrities say wild things all of the time, but how often do they stay in the spotlight. Take the “one hit wonder” concept of music. That person has something catchy that makes them a ton of money for about ten seconds, and suddenly in ten years they are a nobody. Do you remember Carly Rae Jepson for anything other than “Call Me Maybe?” Or what about Kylie Minogue? Or what about the guys who did “Mambo #5”? These people had something relevant to say at the time, but did they actually leave a longer impact? Legacy means to build a home. That was the original intent of the word legacy. Are you building a home in Christ where people know where to search for the source? Are you leading people to water? Or are you just so focused on building a minor legacy with your white picket fence or palatial digs?
2. Contentment in Christ begins with understanding your identity in Christ. My aunt used to send me identity confessions for the morning that would include scriptures I could speak over myself. Part of that was Ephesians 2:10—We are God’s masterpiece; Colossians 2:10—We are made complete in Christ; Romans 8:2—We are set free from the power of sing that leads to death… More than this, there were scriptures that told me of my intelligence and aptitude more than any written test, ones that told me of my value in heaven, and ones that told me about my mental health. If you don’t understand the concept of being loved beyond measure by a God who is not a man that He should lie, then you are missing out on one of the greatest fulfillments in life. One cannot begin to understand that a man cannot fulfill the deep gaping hole in their heart until they search the scriptures that God designed man to have a family. He desires and longs to be loved in return, even if not in the same way that He loves us. He wishes for relationship. Our earthly relationships are just outward reflections of what God is doing inside of us. If your relationships with people in general are failing, look at what your relationship with God is like. It’s very important to locate the pinpoint for which God has designed your wheels to turn. You have to know how He designed you in the precious and unique way that you have been designed. Additionally, you have to understand how you communicate best with Him before you decide to reach out to others. This is the first, most beautiful #relationshipgoal that you will need in your life as the very foundation.
Once I realized I could multiply my spiritual children and then communicate more effectively in prayer, I soon said “I don’t think I need a man.” Not out of bitterness, but because I was completely satisfied with my relationship with Christ being primary. In this new season, God is still primary, and my boyfriend knows this. He is 100% supportive. I’ve always said that relationships with people should glorify God more than together than if you are apart rather than to just be in a relationship to satisfy the need to fill in a gap that wasn’t meant to be filled by man anyway. When love first awakens, it is for the purpose of developing a relationship with Christ (credit: Lisa Bevere). However, the world has distorted it. Now, we are in a very different place in the world, and we need to take some of the very things used to protect us (the original design of man and woman was to protect one another, not expose each other).
So single woman, I encourage you, love you, admonish you, and feel with you. I often as an individual in a relationship still think of how I can focus on me, but I’m not the single woman anymore. I am now in a different challenge: relationships are meant to challenge for sacrifice, not for selfish ambition to satisfy yourself. You have other people to account for IN ADDITION to your submission to Christ. I’m still working on it. Keep this in mind, and enjoy the freedom of being single.
Yours truly,
Gigi


















