We live in uncertain times and even distressing for some. And even though we are Christians, this atmosphere of fear can seep into our souls and affect different parts of our hearts. But God has a perfect antidote!
Even if we are not of this world (John 17:14-16), we can be influenced by it. When there is anxiety around us, it can be more difficult to stay in faith. We sometimes want to integrate so well into the world around us, we want to be accepted, that we share their interests, their dreams, and sometimes their fears. Which, of course, is not God’s plan for us (Romans 12:2). We must therefore remain on our guard to discern when we are motivated by fear so that it does not crush us (1 Peter 5:8).
Sometimes even our Christian jargon, which sounds very spiritual, itself hides deep fears, and God certainly wants to free us from them. Because fear does not come from God. It appeared in the world immediately after sin (Genesis 3:10); so it is not a fruit of the Spirit for sure! Living fearlessly does not mean being naive and going headfirst into any situation, or twisting the Bible to make it say what we want to hear (Luke 4:4-12). Christians have died because they began to play with poisonous snakes, citing the verse which says: “they will take up serpents and it will by no means hurt them”. To do so is not an act of faith; that’s pretty crazy.
We must therefore be careful of the fears that could hide behind some beautiful biblical words that would be misused. Here are a few that often come out of the mouths of Christian singles.
“I’m waiting for God to send him (or her) to me.”
Of course, we have to involve God in our search process, but some single people are so afraid of making a mistake that they hide behind this beautiful sentence to reject all responsibility.“I keep my heart.”
A beautiful sentence that is taken from Proverbs 4:23, but sometimes it is an excuse for a Single to justify the walls built around their heart. For fear of being hurt, these Singles prefer to close their hearts.“I am too busy serving the Lord.”
It is necessary to work for the Lord, but sometimes some Christian singles hide behind their busy schedules out of fear of wasting their time looking for a partner. Deep down, they are afraid of being rejected and having to start all over again.“I am waiting for a sign from God to confirm that this is the right person.”
And they stay engaged for years, pretending to wait for some sign from God before finally getting married. An attitude that sounds very spiritual, but hides a fear of commitment.“I prophesy that I will meet my husband (or my wife) this year!”
Behind the enthusiasm of these proclamations, there is sometimes simply the fear of remaining single.
Have we identified one of your worries here? It’s all right because God doesn’t want you to be chained up in these fears. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6 NKJV). God does not want us to be controlled by our fears, on the contrary, He wants to see us in a position of authority, even over our emotions. “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3 NASB).
So how do we get rid of these fears? By our faith (in the promises of God), by good preparation, and by some other traits of Christ’s character. Faced with our fear of making mistakes, let us clothe ourselves with humility (1 Peter 5:5). In the face of the fear of being hurt, let’s learn to master forgiveness. Faced with the fear of wasting our time, let’s view our relationships as opportunities for service. Faced with the fear of committing, let us choose to love with our heads, not just with our hearts. Faced with the fear of remaining single, let us engage in our calling.
Occasionally our fears may return because we live in a fallen world that has a great influence on us, but let’s take the time to examine ourselves regularly to bring all thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5 ).