Being Single
Finding Meaning in Life and Dealing with Loneliness

                                                          
1. With at least one Christian friend, learn more and more truth from the Bible. But remember that knowledge without obedience just creates pride. So help one another apply truth over and over again. A lot of truth is meant to be more than knowledge. It is given to be translated into relationships — with God and with others. See Hold to the Truth Together

2. With others, use your time to pursue the ways of the kingdom that God has designed. Do not set your pace against that of married people and Christians raising children. You most likely have more time and freedom to explore aspects of God’s wisdom for relationships and Christian life. Read Seek the Kingdom Together

3. Don’t live like those who are not citizens of heaven. The world tries to convince us that its activities are the most exciting and fulfilling. People not living for Jesus can watch television or be on the Internet three hours a night, but those in the kingdom might have less time because there are brothers and sisters to love, opportunities to get to know God more through Bible study and reading, commitments to ministries and service, and other heaven-focused endeavors. See Live as Citizens of Heaven

4. Worship regularly with other Christians. While doing so, be conscious of their presence in the service. Because you are single, you can make more time for worship services and represent those who have less time because of family responsibilities. See Worship God Together

5. Let Jesus Christ decide how you spend your time. He will lead you to interesting people and meaningful places of service for Him. Resist being guided by your own desires, which for single people can often be too focused on recreation and entertainment. See Together Be Led by Jesus Christ

6. Remember that you belong to other Christians. You are not your own, because Jesus purchased you and now lends you out to other Christians. Don’t wait for an invitation before you join conversations or offer to be of help. Do not limit yourself to other singles. See Belong to One Another

7. Do good things for other Christians, especially seniors and families. You have as much time available for others as a married Christian does for his or her spouse and kids. Try to remember that God has not allowed you to be single so you can be excessively involved in recreation and entertainment. But even in times of fun, go beyond mere amusement to really show concern for others. See Serve One Another

8. Take some responsibility to care for others, since you do not have marital or family responsibilities. There is always an older person who needs some urgent home repair or domestic help. Or there may be the child of a busy or absent parent who needs someone to show interest. See Show Mercy and Be Compassionate with One Another
 
9. Make time generously available to God so He can use you to distribute the gifts of the Holy Spirit to the church. God has more grace to give His children than He has Christians who are willing to be vehicles. Being single, you can make yourself available more abundantly. See Administer God’s Grace to One Another

10. Place courage into or help maintain the courage of at least ten Christians a month. Make a list of the Christians you come in contact with naturally. They do not need to be friends. After their names, write down the things they are trying to do that they tell you are quite difficult. See Encourage One Another

11. Be active in planning celebrations for busy Christians who have accomplished something significant. It can be a lot of fun and at the same time very meaningful to throw a party of some kind to affirm those who stick with and finish a project or goal. See Honor One Another

12. Set someone going on a new project for the Lord at least once every three months. He or she might want to help someone, join a ministry, or pursue a victory over a persistent personal sin. See Spur One Another on to Love and Good Deeds

13. Work hard on your own spiritual healing by confessing your sins to other Christians. Without family or with diminished family responsibilities, you can focus more on becoming like Jesus Christ. See Confess Sins to One Another

14. Embark on a short-term mission trip mainly to get to know a missionary family so you can pray for them better in subsequent years. Perhaps you have the vacation time and can travel at your own expense because you don’t have to provide financially for a family. See Uphold the Gospel Messengers in Joint Prayer

15. With a friend, get involved in something that helps non-Christians. Be light somewhere in the darkness that envelopes your community. Be ready to be genuinely interested in people, and perhaps they will be open to learning about Christ’s death on the Cross. See Proclaim the Gospel and Be Light