Cassendur Mus’s Reviews > Singleness: Living Faithfully > Status Update

“Have you struggled to rejoice with someone who’s rejoicing? The ability to rejoice with another person comes through the work of the Holy Spirit and our faithful pursuit of growth in grace.” (Pg. 71)

“The world offers us many temptations: pornography, masturbation, “casual” sex, sex on dating relationships, and the like. But faithfulness to God’s design for sex, our bodies, and our relationships mean fleeing sexuality immorality — running in the opposite direction and avoiding it at all costs.” (Pg. 70)

“If I am waking the road of loneliness, I can look to the garden of Gethsemane and the cross and know that Jesus has already been down this road (see Matt. 26:30-27:50). As I follow him, I am reminded that this earthly path that can feel so lonely of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness (Ps. 25:5-7), a path that’s leading us home.” (Pg. 28).

“Scripture does not ask us to disregard or minimize the suffering of this life. It does invite us to come to the Lord with that suffering, to bring our deepest questions, complaints, and heartaches, and to remind ourselves that we can “trust in him at all times” and find that “God is a refuge for us.” (Pg. 44)

“We don’t have to hide from him, because in Christ we have nothing to fear: no punishment (1 John 4:17-19), no condemnation (Romans 8:1), no risk of losing his love (Rom. 8:35-39). So rather than hiding in the darkness and shame of sin, we can walk with God in the light of his truth and experience God’s cleaning and forgiveness through Christ (1 John 1:3-9).” (Pg. 39-40)

“I’ve seen spiritual brothers and sisters help one another to network for jobs, put a new roof on a friend’s house, show up in moments of urgent need (whether related to car trouble, unwelcome rodents, or illness), and enjoy hoodies from kickball to trivia to poetry.” (Pg. 36)

“If your current involvement with the church is not what you want it to be, take a step toward changing that - have a conversation, look for opportunities, begin to pray.” (Pg. 32)

“Jesus knows what it is to have a body—to need sleep, to touch and be touched, to feel the physical impacts of stress and agony, and to ensure the pain of violence. Jesus also knows what it’s like to be celibate in a world of temptation.” (Pg. 25)

“‘You deserve to be happy!’ or ‘I know God has someone great in mind for you!’” “Do you find yourself tempted to believe such sentiments?” “Rather than be founded in the bedrock of God’s promises, these platitudes are grounded in the precarious sands of wishful thinking.” (Pg. 23)

“God knows our actions, our thoughts, our ways or habits, our words, our physical bodies, our days, our cares and burdens (Ps. 94:19), and our sins. Pause for a moment: Isn’t it amazing how intimately God knows you?” (Pg. 21)