The Gift of God / David Jeremiah

 

The Gift of God For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that. 1 Corinthians 7:7    In the 1980s, the Buckeye Singles Council (in Ohio) started National Singles Week to celebrate singles’ contribution to society. The celebration spread and now the third full week of September is celebrated across America as Unmarried and Single Americans Week. It’s evidence of a general trend: Around the world, the number of marriages is declining, and the number of singles is rising.

Recommended Reading: Matthew 19: 11 – 12

A century ago, young-adult men and women were considered to have a problem if they weren’t married. Today, the single life is celebrated. In fact, the Bible celebrates both marriage and the single life. While Genesis establishes marriage as the norm by which societies can be “fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28), singles—like the apostle Paul and Jesus of Nazareth—can bear rich fruit for the Kingdom of God. The Message translation of 1 Corinthians 7:7 says it well: “God gives the gift of the single life to some, the gift of the married life to others.” If you are married, praise God! If you are single, praise God! In either case, celebrate the gift of God for His glory.      Knowing God is your single greatest privilege as a Christian. Sinclair Ferguson