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God and the Single Parent
A lot of biblical teaching about family is directed at married couples. What does God expect of me as a single mom?
Answer by Christin Ditchfield
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Q: I'm a new believer and a single parent. I really want to live a holy Christian life. A lot of biblical teaching seems to be directed at married couples. Can you tell me what God expects of me as a single mom?
—Mesha Williams, via e-mail
A: Mesha, that's a great question. A lot of people say that it's in their marriage that they find themselves most challenged mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It's not easy to demonstrate the kind of Christlike love, commitment, dedication, and sacrifice that marriage requires—which is one reason so much of the teaching in our churches speaks to couples about these issues. In fact, throughout the Scriptures God uses marriage as a metaphor for the kind of love relationship He longs to have with each one of us (Eph. 5:21-33). Ultimately, each one of us is "single" before the Lord—in the sense that He desires a personal relationship with each of us.
In many ways what God expects of you as a single mom is what He expects of every believer: that you learn to love Him with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. And that you love your neighbor as yourself (Matt. 22:36-39). It's true that you don't have a husband to "submit" or defer to, but I'm sure there are plenty of people in your life that provide you with the opportunity to practice patience, kindness, forgiveness, and unconditional love. Set a good example for your kids. Teach them to know God as you do, and let them learn from your failures as well as your successes.
God wants all of us to keep learning and growing in our faith, becoming more and more like Jesus in our hearts and in our lives (Eph. 5:1-10). The Scriptures tell us to stay connected to our local church, where we'll find instruction, fellowship, and support (Heb. 10:25). Married or single, we've got to remember that God is our provider, the only Person who can meet all our needs. He is our hope and peace, our comfort and strength. "For your Maker is your husband—the lord Almighty is His name … the God of all the earth" (Isa. 54:5).
Christin Ditchfield is the host of the syndicated radio program Take It To Heart, and the author of A Family Guide to Narnia: Biblical Truths in C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia (Crossway).
Copyright © 2007 by the author or Christianity Today International/Today's Christian magazine.
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