What does the Bible say about a Christian staying single?

Question: "What does the Bible say about a Christian staying single?"

Answer: Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 7:7-8, “I wish everyone could get along without marrying, just as I do. But we are not all the same. God gives some the gift of marriage, and to others he gives the gift of singleness. Now I say to those who aren't married, and to widows – it's better to stay unmarried, just as I am.” Notice that he says some have the gift of singleness, and some the gift of marriage. Although it seems that nearly everyone marries, it is not necessarily God's will for them. Paul, for example, did not have to worry about the extra problems and stresses that come with marriage and/or family. He devoted his entire life to spreading the Word of God. He could not have been such a useful messenger to all of us if he had been married.

On the other hand, some people do better as a team, serving God as a couple and a family. Both kinds of people are equally important. It is not a sin to remain single, even your entire life. The most important things in life are not in finding a mate and having children, but in serving God. We should educate ourselves on the Word of God by reading our Bibles and praying, forming that personal relationship that is so necessary for our salvation (John 17:3). If we ask God to reveal Himself to us, He will respond (Matthew 7:7), and if we ask Him to use us to fulfill His good works, He will do that, too. “Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is,” (Romans 12:2).

Recommended Resource: Single to Single by Doug Fagerstrom.