Alone But Not Lonely
Singleness Series
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“And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.”
Explanation:
In this section of Luke, we are given a glimpse as to the anticipation of the advent of Christ. We are introduced to a woman named Anna, whom Luke refers to as a prophetess. She is a widow, whose husband presumably died very young. In fact, it is likely that she is over 100 years old as she has been single for 84 years now. Yet Luke tells us that these have been 84 years now of passionate service to God and his people. Her early trauma has given her valuable life experience, experience that fuels her love for God and others. Her entire life has been given over to make intercession for the people of Israel. For decades, she and the rest of the nation have been waiting diligently for the coming of the Lord. But she now has to wait no longer, as God, Emanuel, has arrived.
Connection:
Singleness is something that millions of Christians address and live with every day. Even though this station in life is something most Christians pass through on their journey, many will testify that it is also significantly challenging. This is especially true for young adults who are open to marriage and family, but to date have not been able to find the person with whom they are comfortable. Furthermore, this can place a significant burden on the single Christian, as they may feel pressure from their family, peers, or even Church to meet that special someone and settle down as soon as possible. They may even feel stigmatized as their friends and fellow church-goers begin to settle into married life and having children.
Like most things in spiritual life, we must be careful to avoid extremes on both sides. From observation, it seems clear that for most of us, marriage and family will be the best option to meet our physical, emotional, and spiritual needs in this life. However, this is not to say that marriage is the only vocation through which God is able to work. The station of singleness can also be one of God honoring fulfillment. Notice how Anna's singleness allowed her to pour her entire life into doing God's work- even for over 80 years! In fact, we are told she "did not depart from the Temple," meaning her whole life was poured out as an offering to God. Her station as a single person allowed her to concentrate her talents and gifts toward the service of God and his people. This echoes what Paul says about the benefits of singleness in his first letter to the Corinthians: Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. - 1 Cor 7:27-29. Thus, we need not despair over trying to decide what God has called us to do. Rather, we should see each option as a gift from God, knowing he is able to work in both the married and unmarried state. Rather than being anxious, we should prayerfully apply our sanctified wisdom in determining which way to go.
Action:
1. Challenge Your Beliefs -
Many times, single people will believe that they are being punished by the loneliness that they are experiencing as a single person. They may doubt that they are truly lovable and blame themselves for their inability to find a spouse. However, it is important to be assured that you are indeed loved by God, and your state in life is not something that is outside the reach of God's blessing. A person who is single can live a life rich in the service to God.
2. Be Patient -
If you identify that you aren't gifted with the ability to remain single, it is important that you do not rush to the prospect of getting married. This can cause major problems down the road if we marry specifically out of our loneliness without considering the potential concerns about who we are marrying. Rather, we need to understand that we are whole in Christ before we are able to responsibly marry.
3. Get Involved -
Often the most difficult aspect of being single is dealing with the loneliness that can come along with it. However, many Churches have ministries and activities that are designed specifically for Christian singles. Seek out one of these communities and get involved in their ministries. Seek out the company of other singles to help one another along your journey.
¹Darrell L. Bock, Luke: the NIV Application Commentary from Biblical Text--to Contemporary Life, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Pub. House, 1996), 143.