11 Reasons to Celebrate Singleness

Title: 11 Reasons to Celebrate Singleness
Artwork by:YMI
Description:  Do you dread being single? Does your status feel more like a curse rather than a blessing? It’s often easy to feel like we’re missing out on life when we’re single—but the truth is that if we’re willing to view it from a different perspective, there’s plenty of reasons we can find to celebrate our singleness.

This Singles’ Day, instead of focusing on treating ourselves to lots of new material things, why not remind ourselves of the unique opportunities we have in this season, and how we can use this time to serve God?

Here are just 11 reasons we’ve come up with. Share with a friend who might need these reminders, or to schedule a “date” to do some of these activities together!

1. Freedom to be spontaneous! 
Unfettered by the rigors of married life, you have the chance to go on a holiday any time your heart desires. The best bit of all, your hotels and vacation spots are not restricted to just family-friendly or child-friendly areas.

2. Loads of time to pick up a new hobby
Most attached people are probably too busy juggling their hectic schedules with time for their significant other, but single you have the time (and energy) to hack through a book list, eat your way through the different cafes you have been eyeing on Instagram, or even better, commit to learning a new skill or language or start a new Bible-reading plan.

3. Plenty of resources to bless others 
When you’re single, you don’t have to set aside money for diapers, milk powder, or your non-existent kid’s education fund. The best thing about running in excess is that you have the ability to treat someone to a meal, bless someone who might be going on a mission trip, or treat yourself whenever you feel like it. 

4. No need to put up with someone else’s quirks 
Your place can be as tidy or as messy as you want it to be. This also means you don’t have to put up with someone else’s habit of leaving empty candy wrappers around the place, or not putting their gym socks in the laundry basket.

5. . . . Or someone else’s moods
We all have moments of ups-and-downs, and these are intensified when your spouse might be experiencing their own bout of the blues. A single person has only their own mood to worry about, but with a spouse, you might have to play by ear when gauging what the weather’s like over at their end. 

6. Freedom to plan your own schedule
Eat-in or takeaway? Waking up at 6 a.m. for a gym session or sleeping in till noon? The possibilities are endless when you are single. With no family demanding to be fed or taking up every hour of your waking life, you are free to plan your day, whether it’s to take time off for some self-care or to spend time with a friend in need of comfort.

7. A wider social circle
Married couples or families with children would almost always end up hanging out in mums-and-bubs groups or other parenting groups. But a single person has the bandwidth to spend time with families with children, the elderly, other singles, young adults or teens—the list goes on.

8. Extra energy for volunteer work
Raring to help out at your local animal shelter? Go ahead and put your name down, or if your church needs  more volunteers to help out with after-service refreshments, why not put your energy to good use?

9. Less worries and worldly concerns
The apostle Paul, one of the most famous singles in the Bible (aside from Jesus himself), says an unmarried man has undivided time to devote his time and energy for the Lord’s affairs (1 Corinthians 7:32-34). There is nothing more fulfilling than focusing our lives on things of eternal value, whether it’s in leading people to Christ or building relationships that will last for eternity!

10. Opportunities to savor the richness of Christ
When you’re single, you are in a unique position to experience just how rich you are—rich in the knowledge of God’s love for you, rich in your contentment of having Christ as your Savior, and rich in the security of His love for you.

11. Less heartache and disappointments
Though relationships and marriage bring with them the opportunity to be loved, cherished, and cared for by a fellow human being, it also comes with the potential for deep disappointment and hurt. As a single, you are spared all these emotional ups and downs, and instead, get to look forward to the perfect bridegroom who will never disappoint you, but will fulfill you completely! 

Regardless of what our marital status is at the moment, there will always be joys and frustrations in each season. Let’s take every opportunity to enjoy the gifts that God has given us in our current season, making full use of what He’s given us, knowing that we can be content in Christ whatever our circumstance is (Phillipians 4:11).