Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. (Hebrews 13:5 KJV)
I’d like to share my perspective on being single and satisfied. The keyword here is “my”, so please share your thoughts as well.
Many believe that in order to be single and satisfied we must be overly ecstatic about being single…as if it doesn’t matter if we get married or not. Some of us even challenge ourselves to not desire marriage anymore.
When God tells us to be content with the things that we have, it does not mean that we should settle for where we are and not look for anything more from God.
It is against our fallen nature to be satisfied with an undesired outcome, but since we are walking in the Spirit, to be satisfied in Christ entails much more than getting what we want.
The author, Jeremiah Burroughs, offers the following description in his book, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment.
“Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious, frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God’s wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.”
When I reached a place in my heart where I was single and “satisfied”, the desire for marriage remained, but my desire to agree with the heart of God increased. I desired to be married, but was satisfied with the knowledge that even in affliction, God was doing for me a good work. In that, I could rejoice.
For those that walk by sight, satisfaction comes from an outward occurrence. But for those of us that walk by faith, the condition of our hearts brings satisfaction. When we change the disposition of our hearts, contentment is born.
Contentment is our hearts agreeing with the heart of God.
When I “let go and let God”, I didn’t let go of my desire to be married. Instead I let go of the anxiety and allowed God’s peace to rest in my heart.
In our journey to be single and satisfied, God still welcomes us to pour our hearts to Him and make our petitions known. We can be single and desire marriage with a peaceable and quiet spirit, not going against the heart of God, but freely submitting to His will.
Contentment is an art that must be learned. But as we grow in faith we will find it easier to agree with God, knowing that in the end all things will work for our good.
