Dear Lady of Diligence,
Do you find it hard to get past the emotions of wanting a boyfriend or future husband? Does your mind constantly go back to wanting a relationship, someone to hug and hold you? Do you imagine a love story like you see in the movies? But… Are you forgetting the task that God has given you in your singleness?
If you said yes to any of these questions, keep ready. It may help refocus your thought process and give you a purpose again.
Through all her activities, the Lady of Diligence can have a ministry of encouragement – to give someone who is discouraged the will to continue and reason to keep going!” – JMK
Being diligent in our Christian walk is very important for spiritual growth and encouragement to others, but also to yourself. God calls us all to take part in His ministry so that all may come to know him.
Ephesians 4:11-13 – And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
But there is a problem. When a woman is married and has children, the needs of her husband and kids takes precedence over anything else. She may have “noble” desires to be a part of ministries at her church, but being involved as a married woman is three times harder than it would be for a single woman without all those responsibilities. It could take a married woman much longer to accomplish a single ministry because of the regular family “chaos” she experiences. She may even dream of the days when she was single, wishing that she had used her time more wisely. As a single she had more control over her time and choices then she ever will again as a married woman with children.
The perfect time to make the most of every opportunity is while you are single, but a lot of times we use our time unwisely.
Ephesians 5:15-17 – See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
John Fischer wrote: “God has called me to live now. He wants me to realize my full potential as a man right now, to be thankful about where I am and to enjoy it to the fullest. I have a strange feeling that the single person who is always wishing he were married will probably get married, discover all that is involved, and wish he were single again! He will ask himself, ‘Why didn’t I use that time for the Lord when I didn’t have so many other obligations? Why didn’t I give myself totally to Him when I was single?’”
Single women can be involved in the Lord’s work on a level that a married woman cannot because of the distractions and responsibilities of being a wife and mother. Ironically, some singles can get so distracted with the hopes of becoming a wife and mother that they emotionally get distracted and can’t do any more than a married woman with several children.
Instead of worrying about your single state, start getting busy with the valuable time that God has entrusted to you during your single years. Use your life, now, to embrace your free time and use it for God in ministry. It will open up opportunities you can’t imagine. God is only limited because of your lack of obedience and distracting desires.
I was the same way growing up. Luckily for me, I had parents that were greatly involved with our church, so I didn’t get much of a choice to not be included, but not everyone has that. At times during my being busy in ministry, I would get distracted by the fantasies running through my mind, causing me to not put my all in what I was doing. I regret that now as a married woman. Yes, I was there physically, but spiritually, I never understood the blessings that God wanted to show me.
Don’t let your dreams and fantasies keep you from finding fulfillment and joy in doing what God has for you to do. Become a lady of diligence now, so that when you are married you won’t regret missing out on all the ministry opportunities you may have missed.
Signing off,
Tami