Wow! Such truth, Amen! Thank you so much for sharing. It brings me hope too that there are ACTUALLY Godly men out there (losing hope over here!) I got goosebumps with the second truth, it hit me hard.
Thank you for your kindness! When others see the Lord in me, I know I'm doing something right haha. Not sure what kind of season you're in, but I'm praying that you feel the joy and closeness of God today!
I really needed this reminder! It is so easy to believe the lie that I am single because there is something wrong with me or I am not good enough. Recently, God has been showing me that my greatest weapon against these lies is thanksgiving. I love the way you share about this topic! You stick to Biblical truth, but also acknowledge that it isn’t easy at times. I really appreciate your honesty and vulnerability. It’s encouraging to know I am not alone!
I'm glad it was encouraging for you! And thanksgiving is a very versatile weapon lol. Whether the lies you're trying to combat are about singleness or anything else in life, realizing what God has done for you and being thankful for that will always shift your perspective. Thanks for that reminder!
Hey Josiah, been watching your videos and have been so encouraged by your thoughts on singleness! You speak so much truth of what it’s like to be a single Christian in today’s age! Appreciate your content so much! God bless 💗
I appreciate your kind words Nathalia! God's given me a long time to think about singleness lol, so I'm blessed to be able to share some of what He's taught me with others. Thanks so much for watching! God bless you as well!
im 22 and it always ends the same for me. Girls say that they like me as a friend but that they are jealous of my future girlfriend, sounds odd to me. But your videos are fantastic and makes one think. Thanks
Been there my man. Some people don't know how to communicate their feelings, so in an attempt to clarify things they just end up saying something that leads to more confusion. Praying that God provides you with a godly woman who communicates her feelings and intentions clearly! Thanks for your kind words!
Awesome video, Josiah! Definitely wish I had this video during my season of singleness. Love your content/editing and always get excited when I see a new upload.
Great video Josiah! Always so impressed with how well you communicate through these videos. But what I really want to say is I love your vulnerability in this video! No just through stories, but even in your tone of voice. Awesome video. And don’t worry, I’m still trying to find you and Jared girlfriend’s
Thanks so much! Being vulnerable for random people on the internet is weird for me for sure, but if it means encouraging someone or showing them that being honest and vulnerable is okay, I'm happy to do it! And thank you for your service lol
Great video Josiah! Thanks for these important reminders, definitely needed. Singleness, as hard and lonely as it can be at times, is a great time for us to grow in so many ways. We'll never know how long God decides to stretch this season (well I hope it's a season and not life-long lol) of singleness for each of us, but all we can do is, as you said, continue to trust Him. Keep up the great content. :) God bless! 🙏
Thanks Bekah! I appreciate your insights and your positive attitude. Sometimes all I need to be positive is to see someone else being positive, so thank you for that! God bless 🙌
Josiah, Thank you for this heartfelt video first off I wish I knew this as a teenager I'm 22 years old still single now I would add. dating/marriage isn't God It's a blessing don't get me wrong, But Jesus is Lord of our lives. and I don't why I'm single and that's ok some days are better than others. Finally, If you need someone to talk to you know where to find me.
Thanks Jesse! And thanks for sharing! You're right, some days are definitely better than others. Thankfully, even though our emotions fluctuate, God stays the same and we can always turn to Him. Just said a prayer for you! Hope you have a good day and that God reminds you of His love for you!
Your words have the kind of refreshing and empathetic depth that only experience can produce. It is comforting and encouraging to many, I assure you. One excellent point you made with regards to the trial of truly prolonged singleness relates to the danger of bitterness and anger towards God. It is certainly possible, indeed it is the natural inclination of our fallen flesh, to blame God because of the pain we are in. We will often take the beautiful and amazing doctrine of God's providence and sovereignty, one which is purposed to produce hope and faith and assurance and steadfastness in us, and turn it back upon God. Like a child flailing about with a powerful weapon they do not understand how to use, we become a danger to ourselves and even others when the weapon that is purposed to defeat worry, anxiety, doubt, and suffering is instead used to fire our meager rounds of bitterness and anger at God's throne. Understanding the Lord's sovereignty over and in our lives should develop a faithful and enduring confidence in God's goodness, despite our circumstances. Yet the result is often that because the Lord is sovereign, we blame Him for our pain and are tempted to believe, as you said, that He does not love us or that He is not good. These were the same two lies Satan whispered in the garden. You are right to point out that God's love for us is neither dependent on, nor necessarily shown by, whatever blessings He may or may not give us. Ultimately, God's love for us was shown at the cross. Understanding this truth, however, positions a person for another kind of battle ... not one that challenges the nature and character of God, but rather one that realizes the nature and character of God, and therefore trembles. This is the battle I often find myself in and it was best described by C.S. Lewis when He wrote, “We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.” I do not fear that God has not answered my many, many years of prayer for a wife because He does not love me. Rather, I fear that He has not answered my prayers for a wife because He does. I do not think He is particularly interested in my happiness ... at least not at the cost of my holiness. If He can bring about even a single step down the path of sanctification at the cost of years of earthly happiness, I believe He will make that trade every time. And that terrifies me. Because the fact is that I have prayed for a God-blessed, God-ordained, loving, Christ-centered marriage for over 20 years. I have longed deeply for that uniquely beautiful, loving, affectionate, and intimate relationship found only in the arms of a wife. I have struggled intensely against passions that, as a single Christian, have no expression that is not categorically sinful. And yet, after all this time, still the Lord has not answered my prayers in the way I have hoped. I am not afraid that He does not love me; I know He does. I am afraid that His love will ask me to walk a path of pain and affliction for my whole life. That is His right, as He is my Lord and God. But it frightens me at times and, at other times, incites me towards anger. I am reminded of that part in Lewis', "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe," where the children are talking to the beavers and are told that they will soon meet Aslan, who is a lion. Shaken by fear, they ask if Aslan is safe? The beavers laugh and say, "Safe? Of course he isn't safe; he's not a tame lion. But he is good." The only real answer to this problem is found in God's character. Even our fear of God Himself and of what He may ask us to do or command us to suffer must all be reconciled to His character. "Though He slay me, I will hope in Him." (Job 13:15) But even when, by grace, we are able to ground ourselves in the firm foundation of God's goodness, justice, mercy, love, and sovereignty .... the task of "being slain" remains unpleasant. Yet as in all things, Christ is our example. Christ was "slain" by God's justice and mercy, was He not? And knowing this, knowing what He would suffer, and weeping over it ... He nonetheless prayed, "not My will, but Yours be done" and obeyed.
Thank you for your words Arcanon. You yourself speak with the wisdom and grace of someone who has spent years meditating on these thoughts. I'd never heard the first Lewis quote you shared, but I think it perfectly captures a sentiment I've never been able to put into words myself. Even though God's best for us is the best and we can trust in it, that doesn't mean it will always be easy to embrace or we'll ever be truly content with it this side of heaven. It comes down to trusting in God's goodness and His sovereign plan. Thank you for your faithfulness and the example you've set for how to trust God's goodness in singleness. I pray that the Lord continues to bless you, and truly I hope that He provides an amazing, godly wife for you soon. God bless!
@@JosiahNordquist Thank you for your kind words and prayers. And I agree with your assertion that even when we walk the path the Lord sets before us in faith, humility, and thankfulness, the pain and suffering found on that path remains, nonetheless. And if the path persists for years or even decades, it will become more and more difficult to be "content," in an earthly sense. This assertion is often viewed in a very negative light and believed to be evidence of a lack of spiritual maturity. Anyone who suggests such a thing may very well be accused of not "finding their all in Christ." This is because it is assumed, and rightfully so, that a Christian's ultimate joy is found in Christ. And while this is certainly true (and thank God that it is), asserting this principle as an immediate and all-encompassing remedy for the problem of suffering and affliction in singleness completely ignores the very obvious truth that there is a difference between spiritual, eternal joys and more immediate, temporal joys. I remember listening to a panel of pastors who addressed a question from a single woman who was searching for advice on her struggles with waiting in her singleness. She had been praying for a husband for decades and, for whatever the Lord's reason, her prayer had not been answered and she was beginning to lose hope. The very first pastor to respond to this question immediately made the point that, "no spouse can do for you what Christ can do for you." Now, while it is certainly true that no spouse can be our Lord and Savior and Redeemer, it was very revealing that the pastor immediately assumed that this woman was attempting to replace Christ with a spouse, as if that was obviously her problem. That was indeed the underlying implication. And while it is true indeed that Christ is the ultimate answer to all the questions, as well as the ultimate satisfaction towards which our deepest longings point, He is not our spouse and lover. Pointing this out does not lessen Christ's importance and value anymore than if we said that Christ is not our lunch; that we cannot eat Him to stay alive on earth. Does saying that Christ cannot do for us what a sandwich does for us lessen Christ's preeminence? Of course not. This is because Christ fulfills the highest desires and needs, which are spiritual and eternal and heavenly. He does not (and was never meant to) fulfill the temporal desires and needs of this earthly life. So when people share their pain and frustration with the trials and afflictions of prolonged singleness, it is often suggested to them that they need to find their fulfillment in Christ alone. And while this is ultimately true, it will not solve the problem in the way that relieves the pain and suffering we are experiencing. Christ will not take the pain of singleness away; He will help carry us through it. That is the difference. Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me." It does not say, "I can get all my desires and needs met through Christ who will do everything for me." Like Peter when he walked on water in the middle of a storm, we must keep our eyes firmly set on Christ. The moment we look away from Christ is the moment we will begin to drown under the waves of sadness, loneliness, discouragement, sexual frustration, anger, bitterness, envy, and faithlessness. Looking to Christ doesn't mean we are blissfully (and dishonestly) "content" in the middle of a raging storm. Rather we are strengthened to be able to walk forward in that storm; an act of faith which, on some days, is as miraculous and frightening as Peter actually walking on water.
Amen! God loves us even when we don't deserve it. It's a simple thought, but one that you can dwell on for hours since it literally changes how we live our entire lives.
Oh my goodness. YES! To everything you said! I just stumbled across your channel, and it is so encouraging to know there are others in the same boat as I am. I hated this season for a long time, but there have been so many things God has shown me while being single. It is a great yet extremely challenging season. Definitely subscribing to your channel!
I'm really glad my words resonated with you Claire! Lord knows that there's comfort in good company, so talking and being open about singleness with others is sometimes that best way to make it through an otherwise tough season. Thanks so much for supporting what I'm doing!
Have you ever read anything by Jim or Elisabeth Elliot? They have a really cool single/dating/engaged/married story. A lot of their journey through that part of their lives is pretty conservative as they met in the 40’s and 50’s I think? so it’s kind of hard to relate to their customs of dating. But it’s easy to relate to how they trusted God and relied on his will during that part of their lives. Especially when they had a lot of wonderings and questions. Anyways, this video was great! I loved your application of scripture. 👍
I've definitely heard about their stuff but I can't say I've ever read it. Sounds like something worth checking out though, so thanks for the recommendation! Also thank you for your kind words!
No problem! I would definitely supplement what you read about their dating story with Ben Stuart’s “Single, Dating, Engaged, Married” to get a more balanced modern take. Glad to see that you are posting more videos again!
