Hello ladies!
I am grateful and humbled by an opportunity to share a little about myself over at A Mother’s Heritage
As I pondered what to write, I began to realize we are all very unique as unmarried and married Christian women. We are also very similar. Unique because we come from different backgrounds, we have different testimonies and are in different seasons of life, but so similar…
… because with the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we can all comprehend God’s
word and strengthen our walks with Christ with obedience and focus on the Greatest Love of All, Jesus Christ.
Isn’t it amazing we have this bond in Christ, I believe you will be able to relate to my story in some way.
My hope is to bring encouragement to single women and glory to God through my writing.
In my blog, I encourage single women to live in the present moment with Christ. As I delve into my story, I think it’s best to start with what the Lord is presently showing me and then continue into a broader picture of my life as an unmarried, Christian woman.
OK…here it goes! J
This is my story…
Today…
I’m 27-years-old and live at home with my family in Illinois. I have not always been a “stay-at-home” daughter, however comparing my independent past to the blessings that have come with serving my family and having the extraaccountability, I would highly recommend living at home. Or if that is not a possibility, I would suggest living under the supervision of trustworthy, older Christians. (I have done both) If you would like to understand more about what the Lord has shown me in regards to this topic, please let me know. I would be happy to share more with you at a later time. For now, I should to continue so I don’t end up writing a novel for a blog post!
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
~ Isaiah 41:10 ESV
I rest on this and similar verses, along with God’s pure, everlasting love for His children.
Every day I wake up amazed at His mercy for me. His love…His blessings.
However, I also struggle with the “what ifs” of life as an unmarried woman.
There are many different questions and thoughts that seem to spring from the dark corners of my mind, waiting to suddenly attack from within. For me it’s usually when I’m alone (with the Lord), preparing for daily tasks or late at night as I’m getting ready to pray.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve come up with some very illogical questions!
One that came up recently was:
~What if my body is getting too old to have children? I’m sure many of you older moms still having children are laughing at me right now…i.e. Michelle Duggar. And rightfully so! J
Nonetheless, it is a “what if” question.
I like to call it my Stinking Thinking.
With each anxious question or thought one thing is always certain…
~The moment I prayerfully let it go, is the moment I can honestly say to Jesus again, “I believe You are enough for me.”
What do you mean by “again”? Good question! We put
our faith and trust in Jesus, this is the foundation for our salvation. We clearly believe He is enough for us.
However, I realize I am a liar if I say, “I believe Jesus is enough for me”, while dwelling in sinful, anxious thoughts.
They are a contradiction. It is a very dangerous spot to be in.
I am so grateful the Holy Spirit has helped me to understand the meaning of repentance and laying thoughts before Christ as they come.
Thus, the word “again” is meaning I again have the ability to honestly say the words, “Jesus is enough” after I repent of my Stinking Thinking.
He desires to hear from us and He is so much greater than any thoughts we have of feeling the need
to be fulfilled with something we may not currently have (or ever have).
If you happen to be in Stinking Thinking mode, one way to get refocused and let it go is to count your blessings!
There are also numerous verses to subdue anxious thoughts, such as this one:
“I want you to be
free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.” ~ 1 Corinthians 7:32-35 ESV (underlined for emphasis)
There may come a day for us when our interests are divided…maybe between a husband, one child, two children, ten children?! J
Let’s praise the Lord for this special time of singleness, without comparing ourselves to married women ~ who have their own set of anxieties.
Jesus is so worthy of our undivided devotion no matter what season of life and no matter what Stinking Thinking may surface in our thoughts.
I have also found encouragement and great joy in learning what the Bible says about femininity and womanhood. Studying Titus 2 and Proverbs 31, while seeking counsel from more spiritually mature, Christian women has helped me understand what the Lord designed women to be ~ helpers.
Whether it be helping our family, our church or friends. During this time of singleness, God has given us the ability to learn from scripture and come alongside other women, learning ways to manage our time and even our emotions wisely as helpers. These are skills we should learn to be equipped with no matter what season of life we’re in. I pray the Lord continues to give me a teachable heart for learning the truths about biblical womanhood.
Have a beautiful day!
Chelsea 🙂
Stay tuned for part two tomorrow!
Chelsea is a single woman with a heart for the Lord and desire to encourage others. You can visit her at her blog 365 Devotions for Unmarried Women.