Being a follower of Jesus, love is a common theme. It's literally all around. It's an idea that's always reiterated. Love thy neighbor, love thy family, love thy enemy, and love God above all else. It's an idea that society has imprinted upon us, for as long as we can remember.

But sometimes, we forget that love isn't just a romantic relationship. We get fixated. We constantly look for a relationship or someone new to talk to. All we seem to want nowadays is love, but forget to love ourselves in the process. We forget to focus on the now rather than the later. We forget to be patient and to trust in God's perfect plans for our lives. We forget that right now, being single is a blessing.

So instead of being this negative, hater of love...

Here are five little things to remember when being single gets to be too much:

You do not need a relationship to validate your self-worth.

This point is, by far, the most important.

So many times, I find myself just wishing I could have a nice guy want me. I get down on myself, especially when I see couples. All I do is wish I had what they had. Why do I forget that God has someone out there for me? Why do we fixate on romance? Why do we put so much presence on it, even to the point where we feel that we're doing something wrong if we don't have a relationship? How does that make sense?

The thing is that that mentality doesn't make sense, and you shouldn't think that way. Just because you don't have a relationship, it doesn't mean that you're unworthy. It doesn't mean that you're not beautiful. It doesn't mean that you'll always be single. It doesn't mean you need someone to complete you. You have to love your own company.

Let God complete you, because He's the only one who can. He made you, perfectly, the way you are. He also made the perfect person for you. So, instead of insulting his creation by stressing about your looks not being enough or even saying that you, a beautiful and incredible creation from God isn't worthy of love, remember that God loves you. Love yourself. Love the creation God made you to be. You are as radiant as the sun, worthy of so much love, and the right person (when the timing is right) will see that too.

God has other plans for right now -- just go with it

Instead of focusing on your lack of a relationship, focus on what God is calling you to do. With His perfect timing, maybe you're meant to impact other people's lives. Maybe right now is the perfect time for personal growth. Maybe He wants you to work hard and experience all these opportunities that are going to propel you into even more incredible times.

Listen to your heart. Pray about it. God is the realest homie we'll ever know. He's got your back, so just take a listen to what He's telling you. Trust in Him wholeheartedly. You won't regret it.

You and your future need to come first

Being young and free, why not follow your dreams and put in all the work needed to achieve them? One day, you'll get married, but you don't want to live 100 years without getting to live your life on your terms. You'll regret the times you didn't put in extra time at work to earn that promotion. And you'll miss the chance to experience what it's like to be on your own and achieve everything you want independently. Do it all for you. Live without any regrets. Build your future and make it count. You got it.

You need to fulfill as many of your dreams as possible, so the day you have kids, you can tell them all about how cool you were back in the day

Travel. Go sky-diving. Road trip to that one concert with all of your best friends. Go on last minute adventures. Do anything and everything that makes you happy. Gain crazy experiences that you'll smile about when you're old. Live a life you're proud of and make the most of the time you were given. Plus, your kids will think you're rad. Give them a happy example of a good, well-spent life.

This is a time to find yourself

God is preparing you right now. You're meant to grow everyday into the person you're meant to be. Being single is the perfect time to learn about yourself, your wants, and needs. It's the time to live your life and become who you're going to be when you finally meet the right person. Now is your time. Focus on God. He'll lead you down the right path and He's going to bless this road that's leading you straight to your happily ever after.

Take a breath. Pray. Focus on God. And stop worrying. You have to love yourself and the life you lead before you can be ready to build your life with someone else.

So in ending, let's all do more of this...