Personally, I'm unsure of what Paul meant by "gift of singleness," since he doesn't really explain it in detail. According to one school of thought it's simply the state of being single, and it might eb forever or for a period of time. According to another, it's a special ability, like a superpower. Who knows?
Of course, the Bible doesn't make us any promises that, if you desire marriage, that God will fulfill that desire. Neither Jesus nor Paul spoke of such a promise. When Paul talks about this (1 Corinthians 7), he writes that, if you're single and struggle to control sexual desires, you should try to get married. In this case, the Bible encourages marriage. It does not, however, promise that it'll work out for you if you do decide to pursue it. Paul does say that not everyone has the gift of singleness. But I'm sure that there's many who lack this gift who, despite everything, still don't find mates.
Is God the one "withholding" a spouse from us? Maybe. We don't know. There could be lots of different reasons. Maybe we live in a part of the world where there's no believers around. Maybe we lack the resources to build a healthy and stable marriage. Maybe we don't know how to talk to the opposite sex. It MIGHT be God. It might not be.
How do you know whether or not God is calling you to singleness? Who knows?
I'm sure the world and sin plays a role here.
Personally, I'm unsure of what Paul meant by "gift of singleness," since he doesn't really explain it in detail. According to one school of thought it's simply the state of being single, and it might eb forever or for a period of time. According to another, it's a special ability, like a superpower. Who knows?
Of course, the Bible doesn't make us any promises that, if you desire marriage, that God will fulfill that desire. Neither Jesus nor Paul spoke of such a promise. When Paul talks about this (1 Corinthians 7), he writes that, if you're single and struggle to control sexual desires, you should try to get married. In this case, the Bible encourages marriage. It does not, however, promise that it'll work out for you if you do decide to pursue it. Paul does say that not everyone has the gift of singleness. But I'm sure that there's many who lack this gift who, despite everything, still don't find mates.
Is God the one "withholding" a spouse from us? Maybe. We don't know. There could be lots of different reasons. Maybe we live in a part of the world where there's no believers around. Maybe we lack the resources to build a healthy and stable marriage. Maybe we don't know how to talk to the opposite sex. It MIGHT be God. It might not be.
How do you know whether or not God is calling you to singleness? Who knows?