Biblical Truth and Encouragement for when You're Worried about Responsibilities, Finances, and Life Decisions in Singleness

This summer marks two years since I moved into my apartment. Moving wasn’t something I had planned on doing until about 4 months beforehand.

This move meant living by myself for the first time, and little did I know it would mean many more first time experiences.

Some of those new experiences included new worries: I found myself feeling stressed about finances, anxious about my health, and overwhelmed by responsibilities and decisions in ways I hadn’t before.

​Some of those new experiences included new worries: I found myself feeling stressed about finances, anxious about my health, and overwhelmed by responsibilities and decisions in ways I hadn’t before.

In ways that were heavier, more tumultuous, more consuming.

Many of us carry the burden of responsibilities, finances, and decisions, and experience the worry and stress that can come with those burdens.

In singleness, we experience these burdens in unique ways, because they often fall on our shoulders alone to bear. Especially in a culture where living with family and being interdependent on anyone besides a spouse is often seen as immature, lazy, and even abnormal.

For most of my 20s, I looked to marriage to be the assurance that I’d be taken care of. I looked to a future spouse to be my provider and protector. I believed once I was married, I’d be secure and have peace.

These past two years have been a time of deepening my trust in God. It’s been a time of placing my faith in Him as my Provider, finding my security and peace in Him, and trusting Him to care for me.

​In His Word, God promises to provide for and take care of those who are His:

"If God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you." Matthew 6:30

"The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul." Psalm 23:1-3

"And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

"He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things." Psalm 107:9

Placing our trust in God to provide for us doesn’t mean that everything will become smooth and easy, that all troubles and hardships will disappear, that we’ll cease to have burdens and concerns.

But instead of looking to things of this world to make us secure, provide for our needs, and give us peace, we look to God. We trust in God for our security and provision. And it’s in this trusting that we find peace even amidst the hardships, burdens, and worries.

So how do we do this? How do we trust God when we’re worried about responsibilities, finances, and life decisions? How do we trust God to provide and care for us in our singleness?

Presence
Through His Holy Spirit, the biggest thing God provides for us in the midst of our worries is His very Presence.

We are not alone in carrying the burdens, facing the hardships, or making the decisions.

And because the Holy Spirit is with us and in us, we are also provided the guidance, wisdom, and strength needed to navigate these things.

We need to be present to His presence; to tune our spirit’s ears to the voice of the Holy Spirit leading us, comforting us, and reminding us of what is true.

Petition
In Philippians 4:6, we are invited and instructed to petition God in prayer, presenting our requests to Him and asking Him for what we need.

We are called to do this instead of worrying. Instead of overthinking decisions and stressing out about outcomes and worrying things will go wrong, we get to ask God to work for our good and provide for our needs.

Yes, God already knows what we need. But our praying about it and asking Him for it is a reminder to our worried minds that He does know, that He does care, that He is good, that He is in control, and that He is already working.

Praise
Philippians 4:6 says we are to present our requests to God with thanksgiving.

We can thank and praise God for what He has done—for the ways He has answered our prayers, met our needs, and worked for our good.

We can thank and praise God for what He is doing—for His Presence with us, for how He is growing our faith, for the encouragement He gives our hearts.

And we can thank and praise God for what He will do—for His promises to us and the hope we have because He is faithful to keep those promises.

Peace
When we are worried, stressed, and overwhelmed, we can not only ask God for provision, but we can also cast the worry, stress, and overwhelm onto Him, because He cares for us. (See 1 Pet. 5:7)

And as we cast our worries and anxieties onto Him, He gives us His peace.

Philippians 4:7 says this peace from God passes understanding; it is a deep sense of refuge and rest, even when the world says it makes no sense. Because it isn’t found in a full bank account, in a fit body, in a happily-ever-after marriage. It is found in knowing and trusting and following God.

And this peace “will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:7) As we are present to God’s Presence with us, as we pray and ask Him for what we need, as we praise Him for His goodness, our hearts and minds are protected by a peace that quiets the worry, soothes the stress, and calms the overwhelm.

Because our hearts and minds are filled with the assurance that God cares for us and will take care of us.