Serving God as a Single Christian: A 5-Day Bible Study

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Single Christians often get a bad reputation amongst Christian circles. Marriage is often seen as the better option compared to singleness. For Christian singles, it is important to know that there is nothing inferior about being a single Christian. Both single and married Christians can serve God, because serving Him is not based on marital status.

Paul tells us that singleness is a gift (1 Corinthians 7:7, 1-40). There is no reason to be ashamed of being a single Christian. Singleness might be a season of life for you, or it may endure throughout your life. In either case, you can serve God and still be joyful in the Lord. If you are a single Christian, know that you can serve Him just as a married Christian can.

In no way does singleness count a person out from serving Jesus. The Lord calls everyone to serve Him and take His Name to the nations (Matthew 28:18-20). In the Great Commission, as presented in Matthew 28:18-20, we see that Jesus doesn’t require a marriage commitment to serve Him. Regardless of your marital status, you can serve the Lord with your entire heart, mind, body, and soul.

Through this 5-day Bible study, we will learn how to serve God as a single Christian. Instead of defining ourselves by our relationship status, we can begin to see ourselves as God sees us—as His beloved child. This, in turn, will help us build confidence as single Christians and rest in the knowledge that we can serve Him just as we are.

After finishing this study, take time to reflect on the passages and lessons God teaches you over the next few days. Record these findings in a notebook or journal to have for future reference.

Day One: Can I Serve in Missions?

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When I was in college, one of my minors was in intercultural studies (missions). During my time studying missions, my professor informed us that single Christians are more likely to be accepted by mission boards because they are easier to move around. Since they do not have an entire family, single Christians have more opportunities to go into isolated places.

Not to mention a single Christian will be able to focus on the task at hand. Married couples with children will have to decide which school they will send their kids to (or discern if homeschooling is an option) and worry about how their children will assimilate into the new culture. As a single Christian, you don’t have to worry about these things, and naturally, you will not have to raise as much support for your missionary work as married couples with children will.

God wants you to serve Him, and if you are being especially led to missions, there is a reason. We need more missionaries out in the field who will help others come to know Jesus. By being a single Christian, you will be able to connect with local people in ways that married couples cannot. Through outreach to other singles, you will help them know that they can also serve Jesus with their lives.

Challenge Questions:

• What is holding me back from serving God in mission work? Is it a stereotype you are believing, or is it fear?
• If mission work is where God is leading you, how can you seek out support from other single missionaries?
• How can you help other single Christians to know they can serve God on the mission field?

Day Two: Can I Serve in a Ministry?

As a single Christian, you can also serve in a ministry setting. When I was younger, I thought only married men could serve in ministries, but this is not true. Anyone can serve in a ministry and bring glory to the Lord. However, singles will be more readily available to the ministry.

Married couples need time to cultivate their relationship with each other and ensure their connection is being maintained (1 Corinthians 7:5). Single Christians automatically have extra time—they are not working on building their relationship with their spouse. Instead, singles can focus completely on the Lord and serve Him in missions, ministry, and life.

Having more time to focus on the Lord is a true blessing. There will not be division in our interests when we serve the Lord with our entire heart. Instead of viewing singleness as a negative thing, we need to see it as a beautiful blessing. Once we start doing this, we will be able to truly start serving the Lord with a heart of gratitude and praise.

Challenge Questions:

• Were you holding onto any false beliefs concerning ministry work? If so, what were they, and how can you let them go?
• Is there a ministry you would like to serve within your local community? If there is, how can you start getting involved?
• As a single Christian, you have more time to focus on the Lord. How will you use this time wisely?

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Day Three: Can I Still Be Happy?

There is often miscommunication about singleness and happiness. The Apostle Paul tells us, “Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do” (1 Corinthians 7:8). Paul cautions unmarried individuals and widows to stay unmarried as it is “good.” Paul himself was unmarried and lived a life in service to the Lord. Jesus was also unmarried and never lacked anything.

A person does not have to be married to be happy, nor fulfilled in their life. This is because we have been given fullness in Christ (Colossians 2:9-10). We are not lacking anything if we stay single throughout our lives. Singleness is often seen as a “problem,” or something that needs to be fixed, but a person is not broken if they never get married.

There are many reasons a person is single, such as not having found the right person yet, someone breaking their heart in the past, or making a personal decision to be single. All these reasons are valid for being single.

Singleness can be a sensitive topic for many; therefore, don’t bring it up unless a single person wants to talk about it. If you do talk about singleness, do not make singles feel bad about their relationship status. Instead, build them up in the Lord and point them to the truth that singleness is a gift from God.

Challenge Questions:

• What does it mean to you that you have been given fullness in Christ?
• Do you currently feel happy as a single Christian? Why or why not?
• God loves you as you are. How does this change how you view yourself?

Day Four: What If I Want to Get Married One Day?

For many people, singleness is only a season of life. The right person may come into your life, and your life changes forever. If you both love Jesus and each other, then there is no reason not to get married. Just because you are single now doesn’t mean you will be single forever.

On the other hand, if you find that you are single for the rest of your life, know that this is okay too. If marriage has always been a desire for you, it is okay to grieve what you have lost.

Take time to reflect on God’s love for you. The Lord has spoken in the past, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness” (Jeremiah 31:3).  God’s love for you will hold you close when you are feeling deep sorrow.

Never realizing a dream, especially something as great as marriage, can be heartbreaking. Give all these broken dreams to Jesus, and let Him comfort you. Give yourself time to grieve, and with time, you will begin to feel better.

Singleness can feel lonely at times, but it does not inhibit your ability to serve the Lord. Choose to start serving the Lord today, regardless of your relationship status, and live a joyous life in service to Him. Knowing Jesus and loving Him are the greatest blessings in the world.

Challenge Questions:

• Do you have a desire to get married? If so, where do you think this desire comes from?
• If God never brings a spouse into your life, would this cause you to feel sorrowful? If so, how can you leave room for these feelings?
• If God calls you to stay single throughout your life, how can you find community within the body of believers?

Day 5: What If I Stay Single for the Rest of My Life?

Staying single for the rest of your life is not something to fear. Rather, it is a gift to be single. Paul tells us, “I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that” (1 Corinthians 7:7).

Even though married life has many wonderful things, single life does too. We don't need to believe the lie that we will be miserable if we stay single. There are many other people in our lives we can confide in and find friendship in, such as our family members, friends, and mentors.

Whether we get married or not, we can still joyfully serve the Lord. Staying single will not hinder the plans God has for our lives. His plans will be accomplished regardless of our relationship status. Find comfort in this truth and know that you are exactly where God wants you to be.

Challenge Questions:

• Is staying single a fear of yours? Why?
• What are some of the blessings of staying single?
• How can you embrace singleness rather than fighting it?

Related:

7 Ways for Singles to Discover Their Purpose

3 Reasons We Are Called to Do Mission Work

The Powerful Ministry of the Single Life

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Vivian Bricker obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry, followed by a Master of Arts with an emphasis in theology. She loves all things theology, mission work, and helping others learn about Jesus. Find more of her content at Cultivate.