Navigating through life in a spiritually dark world is tough, and it can feel even tougher for a single person. Discovering the right individual we can share our hopes and dreams with can seem like finding a needle in a haystack. When we don’t know where else to look, prayerfully asking God for direction and guidance gets results. We can take comfort in the knowledge that His will isn’t for us to be all alone.

When we’re dating, the entire process can feel frustrating and discouraging. Until we find the person meant for us, all our self-effort doesn’t amount to much. When He gets involved in the search, it’s just a matter of time until the right individual comes along. “And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him... And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.  And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Genesis 2:18, 21-24).

If we take matters into our own hands and ignore God’s prompting in this area, we can end up unequally yoked and in a bad relationship. We must trust Him to send us a husband or a wife. He handles issues like this much better than we can and knows things we don’t. His Spirit will lead and direct us. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5, 6).

While we’re waiting, we must simply love, respect, and value ourselves; unmarried people aren’t just “half a person.” We should remind ourselves that God made us in His own image and that He doesn’t make mistakes. “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well” (Psalm 139:14). There’s a whole world out there waiting to be explored. Treating life as an exciting adventure instead of a desperate search for a mate changes our entire outlook.

There are millions of people in this world, and the chances of finding our “one and only” by ourselves aren’t very good. Letting God work on our behalf releases us from an exhaustive, unhappy, frantic search. He’ll lighten our load and give us the spiritual refreshing we need, if we let Him. “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good—not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne” (Matthew 11:28-30, AMPC). When God finally presents us with that special and unique someone, our hearts will give Him thanks and praise.