| Copyright 2005-2007 Jad Khalaf. All Rights Reserved |
| Copyright 2005-2008 Dr. Jad Khalaf, Ph.D. All Rights Reserved |
| "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." II Timothy 2:15 |
| THE WONDERFUL SEASON OF SINGLENESS? BY JAD J. KHALAF The season of singleness can be a wonderful and fulfilling time in a Christian man or woman’s life. The twenty-four hours in each day contain many responsibilities, decisions, expectations, and desires. He or she may feel that their season of singleness is going by at a faster rate than the twenty-four hours in a day. At the end of the day, a man or woman can have the opportunity to reflect and realize the season of singleness is indeed wonderful. Responsibilities and Decisions? The season of singleness contains so many responsibilities and decisions. This exciting season can serve as a training ground for a man or woman to improve their skills in taking on responsibilities and for making decisions. These skills are important to a man or woman that will eventually get married. Rent or Own? The decision to rent or own a place to live is important. A single man or woman will probably make this decision before marriage. They have the joy and task of searching apartments, homes, condominiums, and town houses so that they can find their living place. Questions come into play, “How many bedrooms do I need?”; “Should I first rent and then decide to buy later?”; “Do I want to live close to my parents?”; and “Exactly what am I looking for anyway?” Neat or Messy? A man may decide that his singleness affords him the right to be messy. A woman may want to be clean and neat during her single years. Either way, the responsibility of cleaning up the living space or keeping it dirty and the decision to be neat or messy around the house are both important decisions to make. The best decision is to clean up and be neat. If the decision is to be dirty and messy, then it could affect their future spouse during marriage. Healthy or Unhealthy Eating Habits? A healthy eating habit benefits a man or woman’s health. Unhealthy eating habits do not. Cereal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner is unhealthy. Junk food and sodas may taste good but in the end, they are bad for one’s health. The best things for a man or woman to do is cook a real meal and eat real food. Meat, vegetables, and fruit are some great ingredients for a healthy eating habit. Exercise or Not Exercise? God desires for a man or woman to take proper care of their bodies. The fight against the flab can be a tough battle. A regular routine of walking, running, lifting weights, and being active can improve the health. Of course, there are extremes to exercise. There is no need for a man or woman to overdo himself or herself on exercising. Just a simple, consistent exercise plan will work. Living Life with a Purpose? The wonderful season of singleness reminds a single man or woman that they need to live their life with a purpose for Jesus Christ. They are not on earth just to simply waste time, take up space, and not live life for a purpose. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 7:32-34: “(32) But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: (33) But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. (34) There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.” The season of singleness allows opportunities and freedoms to serve and care for the things of the Lord. The man or woman does not have to spend their time taking care of a spouse, children, or other responsibilities that come with marriage. The primary purpose of living life is to completely follow and serve Jesus Christ. A single is free to build relationships and show God’s love in a way that a married individual cannot. The single man or woman does not have to worry about being home at a certain time, does not have to concern himself or herself with responsibilities of a spouse, and can build as many relationships as possible with less limitations. What Really Matters in Life? Every single person longs for one thing in life: love. Songs are wrote and sung about love. Television shows portray characters that are involved in a love relationship. Movies usually contain a love story as part of the plot. Books try to answer questions concerning the issue of love. Magazines contain articles about love. Internet dating websites provide profiles of singles that are searching for the love of their life. In the midst of a confusing world, a question seems to be arising: “What really matters in life?” The World Says The world answers the question by telling an individual to do whatever it takes to fulfill one’s self-pleasure of love. “If it feels good, then just do it,” could sum up the world’s motto. The motto is not limited to teenagers or adults. Children in grade school are learning about and acting out the world’s motto. Ten year olds, sometimes even younger, constantly find themselves bombarded with the concept of love’s self-pleasure. These children are learning about the concept on the playground, at the schoolhouse, from friends, through the media (i.e. television, movies, newspapers, radio, Internet, and books), by attending parties, and even at home. The children grow into teenagers. Eventually the teenagers grow up and become adults. The adults have children and the cycle of love’s self-pleasure continues. The world’s motto of love’s self-pleasure is an on-going battle that is raging. No one is exempt. Satan is destroying lives by using the world’s motto. Jesus said Satan is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). Satan has an agenda to destroy every single child, teenager, and adult. The prince of the world (John 14:30), Satan, is using the world’s motto to fulfill his agenda through warping the real meaning of love. Jesus Says Jesus answers the question in Mark 12, “(29b) The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: (30) And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. (310 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shall love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” Contrary to the world’s motto, Jesus’ motto is to first love God and then love others. An individual must love God with their entire heart, soul, mind, and strength (Matthew 22:37). BIBLIOGRAPHY Anders, Dana, Nathan Clement, Christ Conti, and Lana Trent. Single And Content: Experiencing Singleness In A Paired-Off World. Nashvilee: Word Publishing, 1999. Hsu, Albert Y. Singles At The Crossroads: A Fresh Perspective On Christian Singleness. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1997. Harris, Joshua. Boy Meets Girl: Say Hello To Courtship. Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah Publishers, Inc., 2000. Eric and Leslie Ludy, Teaching True Love to a Sex-at-13 Generation: The Ultimate Guide for Parents (Nashville: W Publishing Group, 2005), XV-XVII. |
| Dr. Jad Khalaf |