Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.- 1 Corinthians 12
From the time my husband and I got married, we noticed how the the Lord gave us both a heart for the singles in our local body. I remember our first years of marriage consisted of college students living and hanging out with us on a regular. Those were the most FUN, and interesting times I must say.(LOL!) Many would come to visit and we would look up and they are instant roommates! It was the most, ( I will say again) interesting time of our life as newlyweds. As we are 5 years or so into urban ministry, college students still find a way into our home and lives. Of course. we welcome them as we know it's what the Lord would want and we find great joy in serving them.
My heart goes out to the singles in many churches as I feel they're forgotten. Many ( NOT all the time, in every church) times singles ministry is geared towards hooking them up with one another, or finding a good babysitter, instead of teaching them to devote their lives to the Lord through sacrificial living and serving. Many singles leave their churches on Sunday thinking the chief end of man is to be married, stay at home and have kids. Please don't doubt for a second that I don't believe all of the above is a gift, because they are. Singleness is a gift as well. I believe this has affected the single community more than we know. I believe this and many other things is the driving force behind many unhealthy dating relationships, which is leaving many girls bitter and may brothers frustrated. (sometimes visa versa)
My whole heart behind this post is to say, my prayers and desires is to see something different in our communities. I long to see healthy relationships amongst the singles and marrieds in our congregations. We need each other is so many ways. Women mentoring women in biblical womanhood, and men mentoring men in biblical manhood. No matter what season, age, marital status ,or number of kids, God bringing the body of Christ together in a way that is sacrificial, unselfish and powerful in love.
Let's pray together that things within the body will change and that the change we want to see would start with us. May God's grace abound.
